Stotn  f 9e  feifirari?  of 
(profeBBor  ^amuef  (gtiffer 

in  (glemor^?  of 
3ubge  ^antuef  (ttttffer  QBrecftinrtbge 

^reeenfeb  6)? 

^amuef  (ttliffer  (jBrecfttnrtbge  feong 

to  f^  fei6rar^  of 

(prtncefon  C^eofogtcaf  ^enttnarj 

BX  9178  .T39  U55  1846 
Taylor,  R.  1811-1894. 
Union  to  Christ  . , 


UNION    TO    CHRIST. 


I  am.  the  vine,  ve  are  the  branches 


BY 

R.    TAYLOR, 

PASTOR   OF   THE   PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH,    SHREWSBURY. 


NEW-YORK: 

M.    W.    D  ODD, 

BRICK    CHURCH    CHAPEL,    OPPOSITE    THE    PARK. 

1846. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1846,  by 

M.    W.    DODD, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  Southern  District 
ofNew-York. 


LEAVITT,  TROW    &    CO.,    PRINT. 
33  Ann-street.  N.  Y. 


13  e  ti  I  c  a  t  f  0  n . 

TO    THB 

HONORABLE  DANIEL  BONTECOU 

CF    SPRINGFIELD,    MASS. 

tinder  whose  hospitable  roof  the  following  discourse  wa,? 

first  penned,  "by  a  student,  then  struggling  up  the 

steepest  ascent  of  the  "  Hill  of  Science," 

IT    13    sow 
ArFE'JTTONATELY      DEDICATEU 

BY  THE  AUTHOR. 


ADVERTISEMENT. 

It  is  now  more  than  a  year  since  the  au- 
thor's manuscript  on  Union  to  Christ  was 
inspected  by  a  judicious  friend.  In  a  note 
respecting  it,  he  uses  the  following  language, 
in  reference  to  the  ''Method  of  Grace." 
•'  One  of  the  earlier  chapters  of  which,"  says 
he,  ''is  on  the  same  subject,  and  contains 
many  of  the  same  ideas." 

That  those  "  ideas  "  were  not  taken  from 
that  work,  will  be  sufficiently  evident  when 
the  writer  observes  that  he  had  not  at  that 
time  read  that  work,  nor  was  he  aware  that  it 
had  a  chapter  on  that  subject. 

Having  his  attention  thus  directed  to  it,  a 
few  thoughts  and  expressions  have  been  taken 
from  it,  for  which  the  usual  credit  is  given. 

May,  1846. 

I* 


CONTENTS. 

Introduction,     ..,•,.         Paoe     9 

CHAPTER  I. 
The  nature  of  the  believer's  union  to  Christ,      13 

Negatively. 
Sec.  1. — It  is  not  such  as  to  make  the  believer  one  in 

essence  with  Christ, 13 

Sec.  2. — It  is  not  such  as  to  make  them  one  in  per- 
son with  Christ, 14 

Sec.  3. — It  is  not  a  mere  union  of  affections,  .  .  14 
Sec.  4. — It  is  not  a  mere  legal  union,  ...  14 
Sec.  5. — It  is  not  a  physical  union,  .  .  •  .  15 
Sec.  6- — It  is  not  simply  a  mental  union,        .         .         16 

Positively. 
Sec.  1. — It  is  a  mystical  union  .         .         .         .16 

Sec.  2. — This  union,  between  Christ  and  believers,  is 

real,  though  it  is  mystical,  ....         20 

Sec.  3. — The  intimacy  of  this  relation,  .  .  .28 
Sec.  4. — The  spirituality  of  it,  ....  34 
Sec.  5. — It  is  a  union  by  faith,         .         .         .         .37 

CHAPTER  II. 
The  iivrpoRTANCE  of  this  union,      .         .         .        .39 

CHAPTER  III. 
The  perpetuity  of  this  union,  .        .        .        .        51 


8  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  benefits  to  be  derived  from  this  union,  .  66 
Sec.  1. — We  obtain  justification  by  it,  ...  68 
Sec.  2. — Peace  with  God  is  the  result  of  it,  .  .  70 
Sec.  3. — Adoption  into  the  spiritual  family  of  God,  72 
Sec.  4. — Sanctification  secured  by  it,  ,  .  .  75 
Sec.  5. — Access  to  God  in  prayer,  .         .         .         76 

Sec  6. — It  is  the  foundation  of  every  well-grounded 

hope,  .         .         .         , 77 

Sec.  7. — It  is  the  ground  of  his  perseverance  in  holi- 
ness,          78 

CHAPTER  V. 
The  evidences  of  union  to  Christ,    .         .         .         81 

Sec.  1.— Spiritual  fruit, 82 

Sec.  2. — Love  for  Christ, 84 

Sec.  3. — The  possession  of  his  spirit,         .         .         .87 
Sec.  4. — Cheerful  submission  to  the  allotments  of  Di- 
vine Providence, 87 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Inferences  from  the  foregoing,        ...        89 
Sec.  1. — The  moral  dignity  of  trae  Christians,  .         .     89 
Sec.  2. — Christians  ought  to  regard  the  cause  of  one 

to  whom  they  are  thus  united  as  their  own,         .         91 
Sec.  3. — Those  thus  united  to  Christ  can  never  want 

any  real  good, 92 

Sec.  4. — The  obligations  of  Christians  to   abide  in 

Christ, 94 

Sec.  5. — Those  thus  united  to  Christ  ought  to  be  uni- 
ted in  the  closest  possible  manner  to  one  another,      94 


INTRODUCTION. 

Holy  and  intimate  was  the  relation  which 
man  first  sustained  to  his  Maker.  But  his 
sin  destroyed  it.  It  cut  asunder  the  bonds 
which  bound  them  together. 

The  "  Cherubims  and  the  flaming  sword, 
which  turned  every  way  to  keep  the  way  of 
the  tree  of  Ufe,"  expressively  declared  that 
there  was  no  longer  any  union  between 
them. 

Man,  thus  early,  became  an  exile  from 
God,  and  from  that  day  to  this  he  has  not 
been  able  to  approach  him  in  the  primitive 
way  of  holiness. 

The  breach  between  them  was  wide,  and, 
so  far  as  human  wisdom  could  see,  it  was 
one  that  never  could  be  healed. 


10  INTRODUCTION. 

Sin  had  placed  him  at  an  infinite  distance 
from  the  Lord,  and  there,  for  aught  he  could 
see,  he  must  remain. 

There,  while  left  to  himself,  he  chose  to 
remain.  He  had  no  disposition  to  return. 
He  would  hide  himself  from  his  Creator,  and 
wander  further  and  further  from  him.  But 
God  dealt  with  him  in  infinite  mercy.  He 
did  not  leave  him  to  the  way  he  had  chosen. 
He  made  provisions  for  his  return. 

There  was  one  most  intimately  united  to 
the  Father,  who  "  was  daily  his  delight." 
It  was  Christ. 

They  were  one  in  essence,  and  equal  in 
power  and  glory.  Him,  the  Father  gave  for 
the  redemption  of  man.  He  cast  up  a  new 
and  living  way  over  that  broad  abyss  that 
sin  had  made,  so  that,  by  a  union  with  him, 
the  redeemed  of  the  Lord  may  pass  over  in 
safety. 

They  might  thus  be  recovered  from  the 
ruins  of  the  fall,  and  be  reinstated  in  the  fa- 
vor of  God. 


INTRODUCTION.  11 

It  is  this  union  of  the  behever  to  Christ 
that  is  contemplated  in  the  following  pages. 

The  candid  reader  of  the  New  Testament 
will  readily  admit  that  there  is  some  relation 
between  them.  It  is  the  purpose  of  the  wri- 
ter to  consider  the  nature,  the  necessity,  and 
the  perpetuity  of  this  union,  together  with 
some  of  the  evidence  of  it,  and  the  benefits 
to  be  derived  from  it. 


UNION    TO    CHRIST. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  NATURE  OF  THE  BELIEVEr's  UNION  TO  CHRIST. 

It  may  be  well  to  prepare  the  way  for 
the  direct  consideration  of  this  part  of  the 
subject,  by  showing,  in  a  few  sentences, 
what  this  union  is  not.  As  a  builder  re- 
moves the  rubbish  before  he  lays  the  founda- 
tion of  an  edifice,  so  it  is  well  to  remove 
"  false  notions  and  misapprehensions"  in  re- 
lation to  this  doctrine  before  we  treat  of  the 
true  nature  of  it. 

1.  It  is  not  of  such  a  nature  as  constitutes 
the  believer  one,  in  essence,  with  Christ. 
2 


14  UNION   TO    CHRIST. 

Were  such  a  union  possible  it  would  make 
the  creature  "  a  partaker  of  the  divine  nature 
and  perfections."  Our  existence  is  not  swal- 
lowed upj  or  absorbed,  in  the  divine  exist- 
ence when  we  are  joined  to  Christ. 

2.  It  is  not  such  as  to  constitute  them  one^ 
in  person,  with  Christ. 

Christians  do  not  lose  their  personality 
when  they  are  united  to  Christ,  or  because 
they  are  united  to  him. 

3.  It  is  not  a  mere  union  of  affections 
such  as  binds  intimate  friends  together. 
Christians  sustain  such  a  relation  as  that  to 
Christ,  but  the  one  we  are  now  contem- 
plating implies  something  more  than  that. 

That  would  be  a  mere  moral  union  ;  this 
is  mystical.  That  would  only  knit  our  af- 
fections to  Christ ;  this  unites  our  persons  to 
him. 

4.  It  is  not  simply  a  legal  relation.  There 
is  such  a  relation  as  that  between  Christ  and 
his  people,  by  virtue  of  which  he  becomes 
their  federal  head,  in  the  covenant  of  grace, 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  15 

as  Adam  was  in  the  covenant  of  works.  He 
meets,  in  his  own  person,  in  the  place  of  his 
people,  what  abundantly  satisfies  the  claims 
which  the  law  had  on  them,  and  thus  frees 
them  from  its  sentence  of  condemnation. 

This  federal  relation  is  not  the  main  one  be- 
tween Christ  and  his  people.  There  is  anoth- 
er relation,  in  the  order  of  nature,  prior  to  that, 
which  may  be  called  the  foundation  of  it. 

We  must  be  united  to  Christ  before  he  be- 
comes our  federal  head.  It  is  in  virtue  of 
that  previous  union  to  him  that  he  becomes 
such  to  us.  Hence,  it  is  evident  that  the 
relation  which  believers  sustain  to  Christ  is 
something  more  than  a  legal  one. 

That,  alone,  would  not  secure  us  the  bene- 
fits which  Christ  procured  for  his  people. 

5.  It  "  is  not  a  physical  union,"  such  as 
exists  between  the  members  of  a  natural 
body  and  the  head. 

Christ  did  indeed  assume  our  nature  into 
union  with  his  person,  "  but  it  is  the  singu- 
lar honor  of  that  blessed  and  holy  flesh  of 


16  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

Christ  to  be  so  united  as  to  make  one  person 
with  him/' 

6.  It  is  not  simply  a  mental  union,  or  such 
as  exists  only  in  the  conceptions  of  our  own 
minds. 

Unbelievers  may  censure  the  thought  of 
any  thing  more  than  that,  but  believers  know 
the  reality  of  it,  as  Christ  says  :  At  that  day 
ye  shall  knoio  that  I  am  in  my  Father,  and 
ye  in  me,  and  I  in  you.     (John  14  :  20.) 

All  these  relations  may  exist,  but  in  order 
to  share  in  the  benefits  purchased  by  the 
sufferings  and  death  of  Christ,  we  must 
have  something  more.  There  must  be  a 
union  between  us  and  him,  which,  though 
mysterious,  is  real,  spiritual,  intimate,  and 
constituted  by  faith. 

Such,  in  a  word,  is  the  nature  of  that 
union,  which,  according  to  the  Scriptures, 
exists  between  Christ  and  his  people.  But 
to  treat  of  this  view  of  it  a  little  more  at 
length.     It  is, 

1.  A  mystical  relation.     This  cannot  be 


UNION   TO    CHRIST.  17 

denied.  The  apostle  Paul  admits  it.  Hav- 
ing said,  in  his  epistle  to  the  Ephesians, 
(5 :  30j)  We  are  members  of  his  body,  of  his 
flesh,  and  of  his  bones,  he  adds,  This  is  a 
great  mystery.  But  if  it  was  a  mystery  to  the 
inspired  apostle  we  must  not  expect  to  "com- 
prehend the  mode  in  which  Christ  dwells, 
by  his  Spirit,  in  the  hearts  of  believers." 

Partaking  so  much  of  that  nature,  many 
similitudes  are  employed  in  Scripture  to 
illustrate  it. 

Some  of  them  transcend  it,  as  when  our 
Lord  likens  it  to  the  relation  which  exists 
between  the  pei-sons  of  the  Trinity.  (John 
17:  21,  (fcc.)  We  can  hardly  suppose  the 
relation  of  Christ  to  his  people,  in  such  cases 
equals  that  to  which  it  is  compared,  for  it  is 
*  neither  absolutely  necessary  nor  self-exist- 
ent, neither  doth  it  constitute  Christ  and  be- 
lievers one  individual  substance.' 

Other  comparisons,  which  may  help  us  to 
an  understanding  of  it,  are  not  equal  to  it. 
Fox  example,  it  is  compared  to  the  relation 
2* 


18  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

which  exist  between  a  king  and  his  sub- 
rects.  (Rev.  15  :  3,  Matt.  25  :  34,  &c.)  But 
that  relation  falls  short  of  the  one  we  sus- 
tain to  Christ.  That  is  not  spiritual.  It  is 
far  less  "  close  and  permanent."  But  the 
Christian's  union  to  Christ  is  such  that  he  is 
spoken  of  as  the  head,  and  his  people  as  the 
members  of  his  mystical  body.  (Eph.  1 :  22. 
1  Cor.  6  :  15.) 

According  to  that  view  of  it  the  head  and 
some  of  the  members  are  in  heaven,  while 
others  are  scattered  about  on  earth.  How 
that  can  be  is  a  mystery  to  us.  It  is  not 
easy  or  possible  for  us  to  comprehend  it. 
But  the  fact  seems  well  established. 

Again,  Christ  is  spoken  of  as  being  in  the 
believer,  "  living  in  him,"  and  "  walking  in 
him,"  while  the  believer  is  spoken  of  as 
dwelling  in  God,  "  putting  on  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  eating  his  flesh  and  drinking  his 
blood." 

We  cannot  comprehend  how  these  two 
states,  so  apparently  contradictory,  can  exist 
at  one  and  the  same  time. 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  19 

Christ's  living  and  walking  in  the  believer 
seems  to  be  directly  opposed  to  the  believer's 
dwelling  in  God,  and  putting  on  the  Lord 
Jesns  Christ. 

Both  of  these  views  are  presented  in  Scrip- 
ture, but  we  are  not  able  to  harmonize  them 
with  our  views  of  things.  They  are  points 
that  are  both  too  high  for  us  and  too  deep 
They  make  the  Christian  a  mystery  to  the 
world,  and  a  mystery  to  himself.  Some 
have  made  this  characteristic  of  the  relation 
we  are  contemplating  an  objection  to  it,  and 
it  might  be  urged  against  it  with  great 
plausibility  were  it  the  only  thing  in  the 
range  of  our  knowledge  which  partakes  of 
mystery.  But  we  are  encompassed  with 
them.  The  union  of  three  persons  in  the 
Trinity,  of  two  natures  in  Christ,  the  relation 
which  exists  between  our  souls  and  our 
bodies,  as  well  as  the  mode  in  which  God 
exists  and  acts  throughout  the  universe ; 
these  all  partake  in  the  highest  degree  of 
mystery.     Yet  we  believe  them,  and  many 


20  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

things  which  are,  in  this  respect,  more  or 
less  hke  them. 

Where  the  facts  are  clearly  revealed,  we 
must  receiv^e  them  on  the  divine  testimony, 
though  we  cannot  see  how  they  are.  We 
do  so  in  relation  to  other  things,  we  must 
in  relation  to  our  imion  with  Christ.  If  we 
discard  the  belief  of  it  because  it  is  mysteri- 
ous, we  must  for  the  same  reason  discard 
the  belief  of  our  own  existence,  and  many 
other  things  which  we  unhesitatingly  be- 
lieve, not  because  they  are  a  mystery,  but 
because  there  are  other  sufficient  reasons  for 
our  credence. 

2.  This  union  of  which  we  speak  is  a 
reality. 

It  is  not  an  "  empty  notion  or  cunningly 
devised  fable."  It  is  a  most  certain,  blessed 
truth. 

The  Scriptures  afford  us  ample  evidence 
of  this.  Though  mysterious,  it  is  therein 
clearly  revealed  in  the  following,  among 
other  passages. 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  2.1 

Our  Saviour  prays  to  the  Father  in  relation 
to  his  apostles,  and  those  who  should  be- 
lieve on  him  through  their  word,  "  That 
they  all  may  be  one,  as  thou,  Father,  art  in 
me,  and  I  in  thee,  that  they  also  may  be  one 
in  us.  I  in  them,  and  thou  in  me,  that  they 
may  be  made  perfect  in  one."  (John  17 : 
21,  23.) 

Of  him,  says  the  apostle,  that  is,  of  God. 
are  ye  in  Christ. 

In  these  and  similar  passages  of  Scripture 
the  doctrine  of  our  union  to  Christ  is  clearly 
implied  where  it  is  not  formally  expressed. 

And  for  that  cause  alone,  we  believe  in 
the  reality  of  it.  We  want  no  better  reason 
for  such  a  belief. 

This  single  fact,  were  there  nothing  more^ 
should  be  enough  to  secure  our  faith  in  it, 
though  it  were,  if  possible,  involved  in  much 
more  mysteiy  than  it  is. 

But  the  Scriptures  afford  us  ample  evi- 
dence of  the  reality  of  this  relation  also,  in 
those  figures  and  forms  of  expression  by 
which  the  nature  of  it  is  unfolded. 


22  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

One  of  these  figures  is  that  which  the 
apostle  Paul  uses  when  he  says,  we  are 
members  of  his  body,  of  his  flesh,  and  of 
his  bones.  It  has  been  introduced  before 
for  another  purpose,  but  it  is  here  brought 
in  again,  to  illustrate  the  point  now  in  hand. 

As  there  is  a  reality  in  the  relation  which 
the  members  of  the  body,  the  flesh  and  the 
bones  sustain  to  the  body  and  to  the  head, 
so  there  is  in  that  union  which  Christ  sus- 
tains to  his  people. 

Another  figure  employed  for  the  same 
purpose,  is  that  of  a  foundation,  or  chief  cor- 
ner stone,  to  the  building,  fitly  framed  to- 
gether, resting  upon  it. 

The  apostle  Paul  speaks  of  the  Ephesian 
Christians,  as  built  upon  the  foundation  of 
the  apostles  and  prophets,  Jesus  Christ  him- 
self being  the  chief  corner  stone. 

But  as  the  relation  which  exists  between 
the  foundation  and  the  building  which  rests 
upon  it  must  be  real,  in  order  to  give  sup- 
port to  the  building,  so  the  comparison  itself 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  23 

teaches  us  to  iDfer  the  reaUty  of  our  union 
to  Christ. 

We  may  glance  at  one  more  comparison, 
which  shows  the  same  thing.  It  is  the  one 
so  beautifully  employed  by  our  blessed  Re- 
deemer, the  vine  and  the  branches. 

I  am  the  vine,  says  he,  ye  are  the  branch- 
es. 

But  the  relation  which  exists  between  the 
branch  and  the  vine  must  be  real,  in  order 
to  support  the  vine,  cause  it  to  grow  and 
yield  fruit.  Such,  says  Christ  to  his  disci- 
ples, is  the  relation  which  exists  between  us. 

Again,  the  communion  of  the  saints  with 
Christ,  shows  the  reality  of  this  relation. 
Truly,  says  the  apostle  John,  (1  Epistle,  1 : 
3.)  Truly  our  fellowship  is  with  the  Fa- 
ther, and  with  his  Son  Jesus  Christ.  The 
fellowship  {xoirmvia)  here  contemplated  is  a 
partaking,  sharing,  or  participating,  in  com- 
mon, of  an  employment  or  enjo^Tnent. 

It  is  such  a  copartnership  as  indicates  a 
joint  interest  in  one  and  the  same  thing. 


Q4  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

We  are  made  partakers  of  Christ,  (Heb.  3  : 
14j)  not  simply  of  his  benefits,  but  of  Christ 
himself. 

In  the  book  of  Psalms  (45  :  7,)  it  is  sup- 
posed the  saints  are  intended  by  the  fellows, 
companions,  or  consorts  of  Christ.  This 
has  reference  not  only  to  his  taking  upon 
himself  our  nature  and  bringhig  hfe  and  im- 
mortality to  Hght,  but  to  the  graces  of  the 
Spirit,  of  which  believers  are  partakers 
through  him. 

But  this  communion  of  the  saints  with 
Christ  as  much  depends  upon  their  union 
with  him,  as  the  life  and  properties  of  the 
vine,  in  the  branch,  depend  upon  the  union 
of  the  one  to  the  other. 

There  is  no  communication  between  them, 
in  either  case,  unless  they  are  really  united. 

The  imputation  of  Christ's  righteousness 
to  believers,  establishes  still  further  the  real- 
ity of  their  union  to  him. 

Having  no  righteousness  of  their  own,  be- 
lievers share  in  this   ''act  of   God's  free 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  25 

grace,"  only  on  account  of  the  imputed 
righteousness  of  Christ. 

If  justified  at  all,  it  is  "  freely  by  his  grace 
through  the  redemption  that  is  in  Christ  Je- 
sus." But  we  do  not  share  in  the  righteous- 
ness of  Christ,  unless  it  is  imputed  to  us. 

Imputation  is  the  way  in  which  his  right- 
eousness becomes  ours.  This  is  evident 
from  what  the  apostle  says  to  the  Romans, 
(4 :  23,  24.) 

But,  from  what  is  elsewhere  said,  it  is  evi- 
dent that  the  righteousness  of  Christ  cannot 
be  imputed  to  us  unless  we  are  so  united  to 
him  as  to  become  one  with  him.  "  Of  him 
are  ye  in  Christ  Jesus."  (1.  Cor.  1  :  30.) 
And  it  is  only  as  we  are  in  him  that  we  are 
made  partakers  of  his  benefits.  He  does  not 
communicate  them  to  any  others.  There  is 
no  channel  or  medium  by  which  they  can 
flow  to  them.  The  union  to  Christ  must  be 
real  in  order  to  constitute  such  a  medium. 

Again.  "  The  sympathy  that  exists  be- 
3 


26  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

tween  Christ  and  his  people/'  shows  the  re- 
ahty  of  their- union  to  him. 

It  is  a  beautiful  remark  of  a  pious  and 
learned  writer,  that  "  Christ  and  the  saints 
smile  and  sigh  together." 

Though  in  his  own  human  nature  Christ 
suffers  no  more,  since  "  by  one  offering  he 
hath  perfected  for  ever  them  that  are  sancti- 
fied," as  head  of  his  mystical  body,  he  parti- 
cipates in  the  sufferings  that  any  member 
endures  for  him.  '  He  sensibly  feels  the  suf- 
ferings of  the  feeblest  and  the  most  obscure 
member,  though  he  is  in  heaven  and  they 
are  upon  earth.' 

It  was  in  this  sense  that  he  said  to  Saul, 
when  persecuting  the  church,  "  Why  perse- 
cutest  thou  me  ?" 

He  regarded  what  that  bold  persecutor  did 
to  his  people,  because  they  were  his,  as  done 
to  himself. 

Such  is  the  degree  of  sympathy  between 
Christ  and  his  people.  But  such  a  state  of 
sympathy  indicates  a  real  union  between 
them. 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  27 

The  reality  of  this  union  is  also  evident 
from  the  mode  "  in  which  the  saints  are  to 
be  raised  up  at  the  last  day."  It  is  said  in 
the  epistle  to  th€  Romans,  that  "if  the  Spirit 
of  him  that  raised  up  Jesus  from  the  dead 
dwell  in  you,  he  that  raised  up  Christ  from 
the  dead  shall  also  quicken  your  mortal  bo- 
dies by  his  Spirit  that  dwelleth  in  you." 
(Rom.  8  :  11.) 

It  seems  to  be  intimated  here  that  the 
pious  are  not  to  be  raised  up  as  the  wicked 
are,  •  by  the  naked  power  of  God,  without 
them,  but  by  virtue  of  Christ's  resurrection 
as  their  head,  who  sends  forth  a  vital  quick- 
ening influence  into  their  bodies,  which  are 
joined  to  him,  as  well  as  their  souls.' 

But  if  they  are  raised  up  by  the  Spirit  of 
Christ  dwelling  in  them,  it  is  because  that 
Spirit  unites  them  to  him,  as  the  members  of 
the  mystical  body,  of  which,  he  is  the  head. 

It  is  on  account  of  this  real  union  to  him 
which  believers  have,  that  he  is  said  to  be 
in  them  and  they  in  him,  being  partakers  of 
him,  and  having  him  for  their  life. 


28  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

It  is  difficult  to  conceive  what  foundatioii 
there  could  be  for  such  divine  expressions 
unless  there  is  a  real  relation  between  Christ 
and  his  people. 

Such  is  the  substance  of  the  evidence  of 
the  reality  of  this  union. 

3.  The  intimacy  of  this  relation. 

There  is  not  only  a  real  union  between 
Christ  and  his  people,  but  there  is  one  that 
is  in  its  nature  intimate. 

This  view  of  our  union  to  Christ  is  fully 
sustained  by  the  illustrations  of  it  whicli  we 
find  in  the  Scriptures. 

'•  As  it  imports  mutual  knowledge,  choos- 
ing, solemn  self-dedication,  and  issues  in 
mutual  love,  delight  and  interest,  it  is  likened 
to  the  marriage  union  betwixt  husband  and 
wife.'' 

Says  the  prophet  Isaiah,  (51 :  5.)  when 
speaking  of  the  enlargement  of  the  church, 
For  thy  ]Maker  is  thy  husband  ;  the  Lord 
of  Hosts  is  his  name  ;  and  thy  Redeem- 
er, the  Holy  One  of  Israel.     This  figure  is 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  29 

considerably  enlarged  upon  in  the  Prophe- 
cy of  Ezekiel,  (16  :  8-14,)  and  in  the  Songs 
of  Solomon,  as  it  is  generally  supposed. 
It  is  frequently  introduced  in  other  parts 
of  Scripture. 

Christ  is  often  spoken  of  as  the  bridegroom 
of  his  church.  He  acknowledges  the  rela- 
tion. I  will  betroth  thee  unto  me,  says  he, 
in  righteousness  and  in  judgment,  and  in 
loving-kindness  and  in  mercies.  I  will  even 
betroth  thee  unto  me  in  faithfulness.  (Hos. 
2 :  19,  20.) 

On  the  other  hand  the  church  is  spoken 
of  as  the  bride,  the  Lamb's  wife.  (Rev.  21 : 
9.) 

And  when  God's  ancient  people  wandered 
from  him,  he  said  to  them.  Turn,  O  back- 
sliding children,  for  I  am  married  unto  you. 
(Jer.  3  :  14.) 

In  these  places,  and  others  that  are  like 
them,  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  introduces  a  re- 
lation so  intimate  that  those  who  are  joined 
in  it  are  "  no  more  twain  but  one  flesh,"  to 


30  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

illustrate  that  which  exists  between  Christ 
and  his  people.  They  not  only  become  the 
children  of  God,  but  the  spouse  of  Christ. 
'•  He  that  is  joined  to  the  Lord  is  one  spirit,-' 
as  those  who  are  joined  in  marriage,  are 
"  one  flesh." 

As  in  the  case  of  Boaz  and  Ruth,  the  mar- 
riage relation  unites  them  so  closely  that,  by 
virtue  of  it,  she  who  was  before  poor,  at 
once  becomes  rich.  She  who  was  before 
only  a  gleaner  in  the  field,  at  once  becomes 
the  mistress  of  the  harvest.  She  who  before 
abode  with  the  maidens,  henceforth  has  a 
seat  at  the  master's  table. 

So  with  those  who  are  joined  to  Christ. 

A  union  so  intimate  binds  them  together 
that  those  who  were  before  poor  become 
rich  in  him,  yea  those  who  before  had  no- 
thing, are  made,  in  Christ,  to  possess  all 
things  ;  those  who  before  dwelt  in  the  dust 
are  made  to  sit  together  in  heavenly  places 
in  Christ  Jesus.*     Intimate  as  the  marriage 

*  See  Harvey's  Work's,  p.  317. 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  31 

relation  is.  it  fails  in  several  particulars  to 
express  the  nature  of  that  whicli  hinds  the 
heliever  to  Christ,  but  it  serves  to  ihustrate 
that  one  aspect  of  it  which  we  are  now  con- 
templating. Through  this  union  Christians 
receive  all  their  '•  supporting,  quickening, 
beautifying,  fructifying  influence,"  from 
above.  Hence  it  is  compared  to  the  relation 
which  exists  between  the  root  of  a  tree  or 
a  vine  and  the  branches.  (John  15  :  1-7. 
Rom.  11:  17,  &c.  Coh  2:  7.) 

One  of  these  figures  is  employed  by  our 
Lord  himself,  and  the  other  by  one  of  liis 
inspired  apostles. 

"What  can  be  more  intimate  than  these 
relations  seem  to  be  ?  They  are  not  a 
union  of  diflerent  things,  but  of  ditferent 
parts  of  the  same  thing,  in  either  case  so 
intimately  united  together  that  the  one  lives 
in,  or  upon  the  other,  each  part  possesses  the 
same  properties  of  life,  they  yield  the  same 
kind  of  fruit.  The  fibres  and  the  pores  of 
^he  one  are  only  a  continuation  of  those  of 


32  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

the  other.  So  intimate  is  the  union  between 
the  branch  and  the  vine.  No  external 
bonds  can  form  one  Uke  it.  Yet  equally 
intimate,  and,  in  some  respects,  more  inti- 
mate is  the  relation  between  Christ  and  his 
people. 

As  the  life  of  the  branch  is  derived  from 
the  vine  by  virtue  of  the  iinian  between 
them,  so  the  new  and  spiritual  life  of  every 
Christian,  which  is  primarily  in  God  the 
Father,  comes  to  us  through  God  the  Son, 
by  virtue  of  that  union  which  we  sustain  to 
him. 

The  branch  abides  in  the  vine,  so  be- 
lievers must  abide  in  Christ,  would  they 
live  and  thrive  and  bring  forth  fruit.  They 
have  need  to  partake  of  his  Spirit,  without 
which  they  are  none  of  his,  (Rom.  8  :  9) — 
to  have  their  wills  swallowed  up  in  his,  and 
to  exhibit  more  and  more  of  that  meekness 
of  wisdom  which  was  so  characteristic  of 
Christ  when  on  earth. 

But  if  any  illustration  can  express  the 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  33 

intimacy  of  that  union  which  believers  sus- 
tain to  Christ,  more  fully  and  perfectly  than 
any  other,  it  seems  to  be  that  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  body  to  the  head. 

Since  Christians  are  enlightened,  govern- 
ed, honored,  and  receive  their  spiritual 
nourishment  and  breath,  through  Christ, 
this  relation  which  exists  between  the 
members  of  the  hum.an  body  and  the 
head  is  employed  to  aid  us  in  understand- 
ing that  which  saints  sustain  to  Christ. 
The  head  and  the  members  constitute  but 
one  natural  bod}^,  so  Christ  and  his  people 
constitute  but  one  spiritual  body.  It  is  not 
in  either  case  a  union  of  different  bodies  into 
one  and  the  same  body,  but  of  different 
parts  of  the  same  thing,  every  one  of  which 
is  in  its  place  essential  to  the  perfection  of 
the  whole  and  conductive  to  it. 

In  a  word,  this  union  is  so  intimate  that 
life  as  it  were  touches  life,  and  spirit,  spirit. 

"  Husband  and  wife  are  not  so  near,  soul 
and  body  are  not  so  near  as  Christ  and  the 
believing  soul  are  to  each  other." 


34  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

4.  The  spirituality  of  this  union. 

It  is  iUustrated  by  material  figures  to  aid 
our  conceptions  of  it,  but  we  are  not  to  re- 
gard the  relation  itself  as  of  so  gross  a  na- 
ture. 

"  There  is  an  apparent  union  between 
Christ  and  all  the  members  of  the  visible 
church,  which  is  formed  by  their  receiving 
common  gifts  and  influences  from  him" 
while  they  profess  to  receive  his  truth  and 
to  engage  in  his  service.  There  is  too  a 
"  moral  union,  of  mutual  affections,  between 
him  and  believers,"  but  that,  upon  which 
the  enjoyment  of  the  benefits  purchased  by 
his  sufferings  and  death  depends,  is  spiritual. 

It  includes  a  "  legal  union  between  us,  as 
ruined  sinners,  and  Christ  as  our  surety. 
The  everlasting  love  of  God  and  the  cove- 
nant of  grace  are  the  bonds  of  it,  and  the 
placing  of  our  sins  to  Christ's  account,  that 
his  satisfaction  might  be  placed  to  ours,  in 
the  eye  of  the  law,  is  the  effect  of  it." 

'It  also  includes   the  personal  imion  of 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  35 

Christ  to  our  nature,  in  order  that  he  might 
meet  the  requirements  which  his  legal  union 
to  us  drew  upon  him.  But  all  these  would 
fail  of  securing  us  the  great  object  for  which 
Christ  died  unless,  in  addition  to  all  other 
relations,  we  have  a  union  to  him  which  is 
spiritual. 

It  is  the  spiritual  characteristic  of  this  re- 
lation that  clothes  it  with  many  of  its  pe- 
culiar difficulties,  and  leads  some  to  reject  it 
entirely  as  imaginary. 

It  differs  from  the  ordinary  relations  of 
life,  with  which  we  are  acquainted,  and 
under  the  influence  of  our  senses  we  are  a^t 
to  think  of  it  as  material ;  or  if  we  ''  study 
more  refinement"  we  are  apt  to  regard  it  as 
nothing  more  than  the  bonds  which  bind 
kindred  spirits,  on  earth,  together. 

But  it  is  of  vital  importance  to  keep  in 
mind  the  spiritual  nature  of  it,  notwithstand- 
ing the  similitudes  by  which  it  is  illustrated 
for  us. 

Then  if  we  take   the  figure  of  the  vine 


36  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

and  the  branches,  which  Christ  himself  uses, 
it  shows  that  as  there  is  a  natural,  intimate, 
vital  union  between  them,  so  there  is  a  spir- 
itual, intimate,  vital  union  between  Christ 
and  all  true  Christians — that  as  the  vine  and 
its  branuhes  have  but  one  common  principle 
of  natural  life,  our  Lord  and  his  followers 
h^ve  but  one  common  principle  of  spiritual 
life.  One  common  purpose  actuates  them, 
as  it  does  the  leader  and  all  the  followers  in 
any  great  secular  enterprise.  Or,  to  use 
another  figure,  as  the  head. and  all  the  mem- 
bers of  the  natural  body,  are  actuated  by 
one  common  principle  of  life,  which  makes 
it  one,  so  the  spirit  of  Christ  dwells  with  all 
his  people  and  makes  them  one  with  him. 
There  is  a  common  principle  of  spiritual 
life  among  them.  This  creates  a  oneness, 
not  only  between  Christ  and  his  people,  but 
between  the  different  members  of  the  family 
of  Christ,  as  the  members  of  the  body,  though 
many,  under  the  influence  of  the  same  soul, 
arc  one  with  the  head  and  with  each  other. 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  37 

By  one  spirit  are  we  all  baptized  into  one 
body,  and  have  been  all  made  to  drink  into 
one  spirit.     (1  Cor.  12:  13.) 

There  is  one  body  and  one  spirit.  (Eph. 
4 :  4.) 

It  is  thus  seen  that  it  is  in  truth,  and  not 
simply  by  figure  of  speech,  that  Christ  and 
his  people  are  one. 

The  Spirit  of  Christ  so  dwells  in  them 
that  they  receive  not  simply  his  benefits, 
but  Christ  himself.  They  have  him  for 
their  life,  and  are  partakers  of  him.  He 
lives  in  them,  and  they  abide  in  him. 

5.  Our  union  to  Christ  is  one  of  faith. 

The  Spirit  is  the  principal  bond  of  it,  on 
the  part  of  God.  It  must  first  "  take  hold 
of  us  before  we  can  live  in  Christ."  Still 
our  union  to  him  is  not  consummated  till  we 
have  faith  in  him.  The  Spirit  on  the  part 
of  Christ,  and  faith  on  our  part,  are  the  "two 
ligaments  by  which  we  are  knit"  to  him. 

But  this  faith  is  not  of  ourselves.  It  is 
4 


38  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

the  gift  of  God.  It  is  not  without  his  help 
that  we  can  exercise  it. 

But  when  the  Spirit  "  takes  hold  of  us  . .  . 
we  are  enabled  to  exert  that  vital  act  of 
faith  whereby  we  receive  Christ." 

As  the  living  Father  hath  sent  me,  and  I 
live  by  the  Father,  so  he  that  eateth  me,  (or 
"  by  faith  applies  to  me,")  even  he  shall  live 
by  me.     (John  6  :  57.) 

It  is  this  divine  gift,  faith,  that  on  our  part 
seals  our  union  to  Christ,  and  renders  it 
complete.     He  dwells  in  us  by  faith. 

A  union  thus  formed  with  Christ  is  en- 
tirely supernatural.  We  can  no  more  form 
it  ourselves  than  a  branch  can  engraft  itself 
into  a  vine.  It  is  the  work  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  But  Avhen  it  is  once  formed  it  is  the 
foundation  of  every  "  solid  comfort  both  in 
life  and  in  death."  Whatever  "troubles, 
wants  or  distresses,"  such  may  have,  they 
will  find  sufficient  support  in  that  union 
which  binds  them  to  Christ,  if  they  only 
live  near  him. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE  IMPORTANCE  OF  THIS  UNION. 

There  are  some  things  which  cannot  he 
overrated.  They  cannot  be  estimated  too 
highly.  In  their  hearing  upon  the  great 
leading  objects  with  which  they  are  con- 
nected they  are  all-important.  Those  ob- 
jects could  not  be  secured  without  them. 
And  if  we  look  at  the  subject  now  under 
contemplation  in  the  true  light  in  which  it 
is  connected  with  salvation  and  eternal  life, 
it  will  evidently  be  one  of  those  things. 

We  cannot  estimate  the  importance  of  it, 
in  that  light,  too  highly.  If  Ave  look  at  the 
expense  at  which  the  way  was  prepared  for 
this  union,  it  will  be  very  natural  to  attach 
the  greatest  importance  to  it. 

The  Son   of  God   leaves   the   glories  of 


40  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

heaven,  he  veils  himself  in  flesh,  he  toils 
amidst  poverty  and  want,  he  suffers  and  dies 
the  most  ignominious  of  all  deaths,  amid 
the  hidings  of  his  Father's  face,  in  order  to 
prepare  the  way  for  it.  The  scheme  was 
devised  in  heaven.  It  meets  with  the  ap- 
probation of  the  Father,  on  account  of  the 
love  he  bore  to  souls.  The  Son  offers  to  un- 
dertake the  work.  The  Father  accepts  the 
offer,  and  consents  to  lay  upon  him  the 
mighty  load  of  human  woes. 

The  whole  plan  was  one  that  angels  de- 
sire to  look  into.  It  was  one  which  we 
have  no  reason  to  think  would  ever  have 
been  adopted  by  divine  Avisdom  unless  the 
believer's  union  to  Christ,  for  which  it  was 
to  prepare  the  way,  were  a  thing  of  infinite 
moment. 

Such  would  be  the  conclusion  which  one 
would  naturally  draw  who  carefully  con- 
siders the  circumstances  by  which  that 
union  is  rendered  possible. 

And  every  other  correct  view  which  it 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  41 

were  possible  for  him  to  take  would  serve  to 
strengthen  him  more  and  more  in  the  im- 
pressions which  he  thus  receives. 

The  metaphors  which  the  Scriptures  make 
use  of  to  help  us  to  understand  the  nature  of 
this  union,  show  us  the  importance  of  it. 

He  is  the  life  of  his  people.  Because  I  live, 
says  he.  ye  shall  live  also.     (John  14  :  19.) 

I  am  crucified,  says  the  apostle  Paul, 
(Gal.  2 :  20.)  I  am  crucified  with  Christ, 
nevertheless  I  live,  yet  not  I,  but  Christ  liv- 
eth  in  me,  and  the  life  I  now  live  in  the  flesh 
I  live  by  the  faith  of  the  Son  of  God. 

In  the  vision  of  the  golden  candlestick 
contained  in  the  prophecy  of  Zechariah, 
(chap.  4,)  the  seven  lamps  attached  to  it 
were  supplied  with  oil  from  ''  two  olive  trees 
upon  the  right  side  of  the  candlestick  and 
upon  the  left  side  thereof."  They  emptied 
the  oil  out  of  themselves,  through  two  golden 
pipes.  So  Christ,  who  is,  a  little  before, 
called  the  Branch,  imparts  spiritual  life  to 
believers  through  their  union  to  him. 
4# 


42  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

After  the  an-angement  had  been  made  for 
supplying  those  lamps,  in  the  vision,  with 
oil,  and  while  it  existed  to  the  exclusion  of 
all  others,  we  may  say  that  those  golden 
pipes  were  essential  to  that  supply.  If  they 
were  removed,  or  cut  off,  the  lamps  that 
were  to  be  fed  by  them  would  go  out,  though 
the  olive  trees  were  still  as  rich  in  oil  as  be- 
fore. 

So  the  believers'  more  than  golden  union 
to  Christ  is  essential  in  order  for  them  to  re- 
ceive that  constant  supply  of  grace  which 
they  need. 

It  is  only  to  those  who  are  united  to  Christ 
that  he  says,  because  I  live  ye  shall  live 
also.  (John  14 :  15.)  They  live  on  account 
of  their  union  to  him. 

Myriads  of  the  hunij^n  race,  we  have 
reason  to  apprehend,  die  eternally,  but  not 
one  of  those  who  are  united  to  Christ  by 
that  spiritual  union  upon  which  we  have 
before  dwelt.  And  those  who  live,  live  not 
simply  because  Christ  does,  but  by  virtue  of 
their  union  to  him. 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  43 

The  others  die  solely  for  the  want  of  this 
union,  though  Christ  still  lives  and  reigns. 

So  in  that  expression  of  the  apostle  Paul's, 
just  quoted.  Though  crucified  with  Christ, 
he  assures  us  that  he  lives,  or  rather,  that 
Christ  lives  in  him,  and  he  lives  by  the  faith 
of  the  Son  of  God. 

But  this  mode  of  life  could  only  be  by 
virtue  of  his  union  to  Christ. 

Christ  does  not  live  in  the  multitude  of 
the  human  race  who  are  not  united  to  him, 
neither  do  they  live  by  the  faith  of  the  Son 
of  God. 

Hence,  this  union  to  Christ  is  essential  to 
spiritual  life  in  a  much  higher  sense  than 
that  in  which  the  two  golden  pipes,  in  the 
vision,  were  essential  to  the  supply  of  the 
lamps  with  oil. 

We  can  conceive  of  other  arrangements 
that  might  have  been  made  to  supply  them 
if  that  one  had  failed,  but  we  cannot  con- 
ceive of  any  other  way  than  that  of  union 
to  Christ,  in  which  spiritual  life  could  be 


44  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

imparted  to  souls  once  dead  in  sin,  or  main- 
tained in  tliose  souls  after  they  had  been 
made  alive  from  the  dead. 

Hence,  it  is  essential  to  Hfe  in  the  highest 
sense  in  which  that  word  can  be  emplo^^ed. 
There  is  no  other  way  to  obtain  that  spiritual 
life  which  is  here  intended. 

It  is  the  only  foundation  of  well  grounded 
hope.  There  is  no  other  way  of  salvation. 
This  is  the  only  door,  the  only  name,  "  for 
there  is  none  other  name  under  heaven  giv- 
en among  men,  whereby  we  must  be  saved." 
(Acts  4:  12.) 

If  that  union  were  destroyed,  after  it  had 
once  been  formed,  and  the  soul  had  received 
a  new  and  spiritual  life  by  means  of  it,  that 
life  could  not  be  maintained.  It  would  have 
no  medium  through  which  it  could  receive 
those  heavenly  supplies ^which  were  needful 
to  perpetuate  it. 

The  live  coal  which  grace  had  laid  upon 
the  altar  of  God,  within  our  hearts,  must  go 
out — the   gentle   flame   must   expire.     We 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  45 

cannot  devise  any  other  way  by  which  it 
can  be  kept  burning.  We  have  every  reason 
to  think  that  there  is  no  other  way.  The 
importance  which  has  been  attached  to  our 
union  with  him  is  fully  sustained  by  the 
apostle,  when  he  speaks  of  Christ  as  the 
head,  and  believers  as  the  members  of  his 
spiritual  body.  He  clearly  intimates  that 
as  a  natural  union  of  the  head  and  members 
is  essential  to  natural  life,  as  nothing  can  be 
a  substitute  for  it,  so  a  spiritual  union  be- 
tween Christ  and  his  people,  is  essential  to 
spiritual  life.  Nothing  else  can  secure  it,  or 
preserve  it. 

If  we  separate  the  body  from  the  head,  in 
either  case,  the  members  must  expire.  They 
have  no  other  source  of  life. 

Whether  then  we  look  at  Christ  as  the 
head  of  the  body  of  which  his  followers  are 
members,  or  as  the  foundation,  on  which  his 
followers  are  built  up  as  a  spiritual  edifice, 
the  importance  of  this  union  to  him  is  ap- 
parent. 


46  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

If  he  is  the  foundation  he  is  the  only  one 
upon  which  that  edifice  can  rest.  Other 
foundation  can  no  man  lay  than  that  is  laid, 
which  is  Jesus  Christ.     (1.  Cor.  3  :  11.) 

He  is  the  chief  corner-stone,  elect,  precious. 

Now  if  the  only  foundation,  which  a 
building  can  have,  be  removed,  whether  it 
be  a  natural  one  or  a  spiritual  one,  the  build- 
ing as  surely  falls,  as  the  body  dies  when 
separated  from  the  head. 

It  has  no  longer  any  support,  and  accord- 
ing to  one  of  the  established  laws  of  nature, 
a  material  building,  so  situated,  must  come 
down. 

So  must  a  spiritual  one,  according  to  the 
principles  of  grace.  The  brightest  hopes 
which  it  is  possible  for  one  to  cherish,  must, 
in  truth,  come  to  nothing,  just  as  soon  as  he 
ceases  to  be  really,  closely,  spiritually  united 
to  Christ,  by  a  genuine,  evangelical  faith. 
The  sweet  psalmist  of  Israel  asks.  If  the 
foundation  be  destroyed,  what  can  the 
righteous  do  ?     And  he  of  whom  that  sweet 


UNI«N    TO    CHRIST.  47 

psalmist  was  in  many  respects  a  striking 
type,  says,  without  me,  or  as  the  margin  is. 
severed  from  me  ye  can  do  nothing. 

That  there  may  be  no  want  of  evidence 
in  relation  to  the  point  now  before  us,  we 
may  introduce  one  other  figure,  which,  per- 
haps, shows  the  importance  of  it  with  as 
much  distinctness  as  either  of  those  which 
have  been  introduced  for  the  same  purpose. 

It  is  our  Saviour's  figure  of  the  vine  and 
the  branches,  which  will  not  be  the  less  ap- 
propriate on  this  point,  because  it  has  been 
previously  introduced  to  illustrate  others. 
It  is  hoped  it  may  not  be  the  less  interesting 
on  that  account,  since  it  will  tend  directly 
to  strengthen  the  view,  which  we  have  just 
taken,  of  the  importance  of  our  union  to 
Christ. 

What  can  the  branch  do  without  an  inti- 
mate, inwrought  connection  with  the  vine  ? 
Can  it  bring  forth  fruit?  Can  it  thrive? 
Can  it  live,  without  such  a  connection  with 
the  vine?     Evidently  none   of  these  ends 


48  UNION    TO    ClflRIST. 

can  be  secured  unless  they  are  really  uni- 
ted. 

The  branch  is  nourished  by  the  vine,  but 
an  apparent  union  is  not  enough  to  secure 
nourishment.  There  must  be  a  reality  in  it, 
and  without  that,  instead  of  growth  or  fruit, 
the  dresser  would  soon  find  only  a  withered 
branch,  fit  for  the  flames. 

It  is  so  with  the  bond  that  unites  believers 
to  Christ. 

They  must  be  in  him  and  abide  in  him, 
if  they  would  live  the  life  of  faith,  and  yield 
fruit  to  the  praise  of  God.  If  a  man  abide 
not  in  me,  says  our  Lord,  he  is  cast  forth  as 
a  branch  and  is  withered. 

As  the  branch  cannot  bear  fruit  of  itself, 
except  it  abide  in  the  vine,  no  more  can  ye, 
except  ye  abide  in  me.  He  that  hath  the 
Son  hath  life,  but  he  that  hath  not  the  Son 
hath  not  life.  (1  John  5  :  12.) 

But  the  only  way  in  which  we  can  have 
the  Son,  or  have  an  interest  in  him,  is  by  a 
union  to  him.    We  have  no  natural  claim 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  49 

to  such  an  interest.     Such  is  the  importance 
of  our  union  to  Christ. 

It  is  the  primary  source  of  divine  Ufe.  It 
is  the  only  source  of  that  hfe,  and  essential 
to  it.  Without  it  Christ  will  profit  us  noth- 
ing. The  riches  of  redeeming  love  will 
never  enrich  us.  The  eternal  blessings  of 
redemption  will  never  eternally  bless  us. 
The  mansions  which  Christ  went  to  prepare 
for  those  that  love  him  we  never  shall  in- 
habit. Of  the  waters  of  life  we  never  shall 
drink.  In  the  song  of  redeeming  love  in 
heaven  we  never  shall  share.  The  peace 
of  God,  which  passeth  all  understanding, 
will  never  possess  our  souls.  It  is  the  hinge 
upon  which  salvation  turns. 

Unless  we  are  united  to  Christ,  it  had 
been  infinitely  better  for  us,  whatever  else 
we  may  be,  or  whatever  else  we  may  have, 
infinitely  better  for  us  if  we  had  never  been 
born. 

Without  it  we  may  in  one  sense  see  hea- 
ven, but  it  will  be  as  Dives  saw  Abraham, 
5 


50  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

"  afar  off."  It  will  not  be  for  us.  It  will  not 
be  nigh.  As  he  was  far  removed  from  that 
happiness  which  Lazarus  found  in  Abra- 
ham's bosom,  so  all  who  are  not  united  to 
Christ  by  faith,  will  be  far  removed  from  the 
exalted  privileges  of  heaven.  All  who  live 
without  this  relation  to  him,  and  die  without 
it,  must  be  separated  from  all  that  is  good 
and  desirable,  by  a  distance  which  they  can 
never  repass. 

This  union,  then,  is  truly  all-important. 
Those  who  are  yet  destitute  of  it  should  seek 
for  it  as  such.  Those  who  have  once  re- 
ceived spiritual  life  from  Christ,  by  virtue  of 
it,  should  guard  with  the  utmost  care  against 
every  thing  which  tends  to  mar  it.  They 
must  suffer  even  by  a  partial  separation  from 
him,  as  the  branch  does  that  is  partly  sepa- 
rated from  the  vine,  or  the  stream  that  is 
partly  cut  off  from  the  fountain. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE     PERPETUITY    OF    THIS    UNION. 

We  have  spoken  of  the  importance  of  pre- 
serving this  relation  between  Christ  and  the 
Christian  when  it  was  once  formed,  by 
guarding  against  every  thing  which  tended 
to  mar  or  destroy  it.  But  this  remark  was 
not  made  because  it  was  supposed  that  those 
who  were  once  joined  to  the  Lord,  by  faith, 
would  ever  be  permanently  separated  from 
him. 

Those  who  had  every  appearance  of  being 
united  to  Christ,  as  far  as  men  can  see,  may 
be  permanently  separated  from  him.  But 
appearance  and  reality  are  different  things. 
True  Christians  might  sever  the  bonds  that 
bind  them  to  Christ,  and  cease  to  be  Chris- 
tians, if  they  were  the  keepers  of  those  bonds. 


52  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

But  as  the  whole  scheme  is  divine,  not 
human,  the  bonds  of  it  are  kept  under  the 
watchful  eye  of  Him,  who,  by  grace,  joins 
us  unto  himself.  We  have  reason  to  be  un- 
feignedly  grateful  that  we  were  not  made 
the  keepers  of  them. 

Yet  we  have  as  much  reason  to  guard 
against  what  is  opposed  to  it,  as  if  we  were, 
lest  God  himself  should  give  us  up  before 
that  union  was  formed,  or  leave  us  to  great 
and  continued  darkness  after  we  were  joined 
to  the  Lord. 

As  then  this  union  is  divinely  preserved 
no  less  than  divinely  formed,  we  speak  of  it 
from  the  character  of  the  being  who  unites 
us  to  himself,  if  for  no  other  cause,  as  an 
eternal  union. 

We  have  spoken  of  the  nature  of  it,  but 
it  seemed  too  much  to  regard  it  as  eternal,  in 
that  sense,  since  some  relations  which  once 
existed  analogous  to  this  have  ceased.  I 
refer  to  the  case  of  those  angels,  who  though 
once  holy,  kept  not  their  first  estate,  and  to 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  53 

man,  who  was  originally  created  in  the  im- 
age of  God  J  but  lost  that  image  by  means  of 
sin.  Since  then  two  classes  of  perfectly 
holy  beings  have  fallen,  we  can  see  nothing 
in  the  nature  of  that  union  which  binds  an 
imperfectly  holy  being  to  Christ,  that  neces- 
sarily keeps  him  from  relapsing  into  a  state 
of  sin.  A  Christian  is  but  partially  sancti- 
fied, at  the  best,  in  this  world. 

If  a  natural  branch  may  be  cut  off,  there 
is  nothing  in  the  nature  of  an  engrafted  one, 
when  but  partially  knit  to  the  stem  in  which 
it  is  placed,  that  necessarily  shields  it  from 
that  liability. 

If  it  is  fostered  with  greater  tenderness 
than  the  natural  branch,  and  thus  saved, 
while  that  was  removed  to  make  room  for 
k,  the  cause  of  this  difference,  in  the  two 
cases,  is  something  foreign  from  the  nature 
of  an  engrafted  branch.  And  so  of  our  union 
to  Christ.  If  perfectly  holy  beings  could 
be  brought  under  the  influence  of  sin,  and 
be  alienated  from  God  by  it,  we  see  nothing 
5* 


54  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

in  the  nature  of  that  relation  which  partially 
holy  beings  sustain  to  him.  that  necessa- 
rily causes  them  to  persevere.  The  tenden- 
cy of  sin  is  every  where  the  same.  It  is  to 
separate  those  in  whom  it  dwells  from  all 
fellowship  with  God,  from  all  union  with 
Christ,  and  to  remove  them  further  and  fur- 
ther from  holiness,  and  consequently  from 
the  happiness  of  heaven. 

We  do  not  find  any  thing  in  the  nature  of 
a  believer's  union  to  Christ,  that  is  of  itself 
a  pledge  of  the  perpetuity  of  it ; — nothing 
that  assures  us  that  those  who  are  once  thus 
joined  to  the  Lord,  shall  not  be  separated 
from  him. 

But  leaving  the  nature  of  this  union  out 
of  the  question,  we  have  so  much  evidence, 
of  another  character,  upon  this  point,  that 
we  are  prepared  to  say,  there  are  few  if  any 
of  the  doctrines  of  the  Bible  more  clearly 
established  than  the  eternity  of  that  relation 
which  joins  believers  to  Christ.  That  evi- 
dence is  in  part  the  positive  testimony  of 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  55 

Scripture.  "  If  any  man  be  in  Christ  he  is 
a  new  creature."  But  from  a  state  of  nature 
we  become  "  in  Christ,"  by  our  divine  union 
to  him. 

There  is  an  indissoluble  connection  be- 
tween spiritual  Uf^,  or  holiness,  and  that 
relation  which  is  essential  to  a  new  creature 
in  Christ  Jesus. 

As  a  consequence  of  this,  our  union  to 
him  and  our  state  of  grace  stand  or  fall 
together.  Whatever  establishes  the  certain- 
ty of  eternal  life,  to  those  who  are  once  in 
Christ,  establishes,  at  the  same  time,  and 
to  the  same  degree,  the  perpetuity  of  our 
union  to  him.  Viewing  the  subject  in  that 
Ught,  the  following  passages  of  Scripture  are 
a  few  of  the  many  that  clearly  support  us 
in  the  view  of  this  relation,  which  we  have 
now  taken. 

The  righteous  shall  hold  on  his  way,  and 
he  that  hath  clean  hands  shall  be  stronger 
and  stronger.  Job,  17  :  9.  Though  he  (that 
is,  a  good  man)  fall,  he  shall  not  be  utterly 


56  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

cast  down  ;  for  the  Lord  upholdeth  him  with 
his  hand.  Ps.  37  :  24.  "  All  that  the  Father 
giveth  me  shall  come  unto  me,  ahd  him  that 
Cometh  unto  me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out." 
Christ. 

The  apostle  Peter  speaks  of  the  elect  as 
those  who  are  kept  by  the  power  of  God 
through  faith  unto  salvation,  1  Epistle  1 :  5. 
They,  that  is  the  saints,  "  are  preserved  for- 
ever." Ps.  37:  28.  The  righteous  "shall 
never  be  moved."  Ps.  15:  5.  The  path  of 
the  just  is  as  the  shining  light,  that  shineth 
more  and  more  unto  the  perfect  day.  Prov. 
4:  18. 

It  would  seem  that  nothing  could  be  plain- 
er  than  that  the  perseverance  of  the  saints 
is  here  explicitly  declared.  They  shall  hold 
on  their  way.  Though  they  fall  they  shall 
rise  again.  They  shall  not  be  utterly  cast 
down. 

They  shall  be  kept,  not  by  any  thing  in 
the  nature  of  their  union  to  Christ,  but  by 
the  power  of  God  through  faith.     They  are 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  SHf 

thus  preserved  for  ever,  or  in  other  words 
then-  union  to  Christ  is  for  ever  maintained, 
by  the  power  of  God,  through  faith. 

But  further,  the  promise  of  God  in  the 
covenant  of  grace  seems  to  put  this  matter 
beyond  a  doubt. 

Speaking  by  the  prophet  Jeremiah,  (32 : 
40,)  he  says,  I  will  make  an  everlasting  cov- 
enant with  them,  that  I  will  not  turn  away 
from  them  to  do  them  good  ;  but  I  will  put 
my  fear  in  their  hearts,  that  they  shall  not 
depart  from  me.  This  was  addressed  at 
first  to  the  captive  Jews,  but  it  is  to  be  taken 
as  a  promise  of  the  evangelical  covenant, 
generally.  Consequently  it  is  applicable  to 
all  who  are  united  to  Christ.  It  discovers 
the  purpose  of  God  to  maintain  his  cause 
in  the  hearts  of  his  people,  or  to  maintain 
the  relation  which  subsists  between  them 
and  Christ.  He  will  make  or  "  cut  out  with 
them  a  covenant  of  perpetuity,"  that  he 
will  never  cease  to  follow  them  with  his 
favor,  while  he  implanted  a  holy  fear  or 


58  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

reverence  of  liim  in  their  hearts,  which 
should  *'  rivet  them  to  Christ  and  keep  them 
close  to  him  for  ever." 

Such  is  the  purpose  of  God  ;  and  his  coun- 
sel shall  stand ;  he  will  do  all  his  pleasure. 

He  will  graciously  carry  out  his  purpose 
by  the  continued  exercise  of  his  power,  by 
the  continued  intercession  of  his  Son,  and 
the  continued  efficacy  of  his  spirit. 

True,  the  enemies  of  holiness  will  leave 
no  means  untried  by  which  they  may  hope 
to  achieve  the  final  and  complete  overthrow 
of  the  saints.  As  this  precious  relation  which 
they  sustain  to  Christ  is  the  point  upon 
which  their  salvation  turns,  the  most  vigor- 
ous efforts  of  their  enemies  may  be  employ- 
ed to  separate  them  from  him. 

If  they  were  left  to  resist  these  efforts 
alone,  they  would  undoubtedly  be  vanquish- 
ed. They  have  no  might  of  themselves. 
Standing  alone,  in  their  very  best  estate  they 
are  but  a  bundle  of  weakness. 

But  it  is  when  they  feel  their  weakness, 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  59 

when  they  look  to  heaven  for  aid,  that  the 
cheering  truth  which  has  sustained  many  a 
sinking  heart  appHes  to  them.  ^'  God  is  our 
refuge  and  strength,  a  very  present  help  in 
trouble."     Ps.  46:  1. 

They  may  have  feared  before,  but  the 
word  of  God  removes  from  them  all  grounds 
to  fear  that  their  enemies  will  ultimately 
prevail. 

I  give  unto  them,  says  Christ,  eternal  life, 
and  they  shall  never  perish,  neither  shall 
any  pluck  them  out  of  my  hand.  My  Fa- 
ther which  gave  them  me  isgreaterthan  all, 
and  none  is  able  to  pluck  them  out  of  my 
Father's  hand.  John  10 :  28-30.  Many 
may  try  to  do  it,  but  they  are  not  able. 
The  purpose  and  the  power  of  God  secure 
the  perpetuity  of  the  saints'  union  to  Christ. 

It  is  also  secured  by  the  intercession  of 
the  Son. 

He  was  pointed  out  by  the  prophet  Isaiah 
(53  :  12)  as  one  that  made  intercession  for 
the  transgressors. 

He  is  spoken  of  in  the  epistle  to  the  He- 


60  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

brews  (7 :  25)  as  able  to  save  them,  to  the 
uttermost,  that  come  unto  God  by  him,  see- 
ing he  ever  liveth  to  make  intercession  for 
them.  He  Hves,  he  ever  hves,  it  would 
seem,  for  this  purpose.  Having  once  loved 
his  own,  he  loves  them  unto  the  end.  We 
h"ave  no  reason  to  fear  that  he  will  ever  be 
weary  of  interceding  for  those  who  are  once 
united  to  him. 

The  benevolence  that  led  him  to  under- 
take for  them  when  far  from  the  covenant 
of  promise,  leaves  us  no  grounds  to  fear  that 
he  will  ever  grow  weary  of  interceding  for 
those  who  are  brought  nigh  to  him  once  by 
grace.  He  will  continue  to  intercede  for 
them.  The  Father  will  hear  him.  He  always 
hears  him.  His  intercessions  will  prevail : 
they  will  secure  the  perpetuity  of  the  Chris- 
tian's union  to  Christ.  It  will  be  eternal.  It 
is  rendered  eternal  also  by  the  efficacy  of 
the  Holy  Spirit.  The  divine  seed,  or  prin- 
ciple of  grace,  remains  in  those  who  have 
once  been  renewed.     (1  John  3:9.) 

The  time  will  never  come  when  it  can, 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  61 

in  truth,  be  said  of  such  that  they  are  in 
an  unrenewed  state,  any  more  than  it  can 
be  said  that  any  are  naturally  unborn  who 
have  passed  years  in  this  world.  Such  per- 
sons may  swoon,  they  may  die,  but  that  will 
not  alter  the  matter  of  fact  in  relation  to 
their  birth.  So  grace  may  decline  in  the 
hearts  of  those  who  have  been  renewed  by 
the  Spirit  of  God.  It  may  appear  to  expire, 
but  it  still  remains  an  unalterable  truth  that 
they  are  in  a  renewed  state.  '^  His  seed 
remaineth  in  him." 

It  may  be  buried,  and  for  a  time  cease  to 
exert  any  visible  influence,  but  the  principle 
is  still  there.  It  is  not  extinguished.  This 
principle  restrains  them,  so  that  they  do  not 
sin  by  the  full  consent  of  their  wills,  as 
they  would  otherwise  do  ;  or  if  they  fall  un- 
der the  power  of  sin  for  a  time,  it  will  sooner 
or  later  effectually  recover  them.  It  will 
bring  them  back  to  God. 

It  does  not  allow  them  to  continue  in  a 
course  of  willing  obedience  to  sin. 
6 


62  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

We  have  thus  not  only  the  fact  that  those 
who  are  once  spiritually  united  to  Christ  by 
faith,  are  eternally  united  to  him,  but  we 
have  the  way  in  which  that  union  is  ren- 
dered eternal. 

There  may  be,  and  there  too  often  is,  a 
temporary  apostacy  from  Christ,  in  the  case 
of  true  Christians  ;  but  while  there  is  such  a 
threefold  cord,  divinely  wrought,  that  binds 
them  to  Christ,  they  have  the  strongest  pos- 
sible assurance  that  it  will  be  only  tempo- 
rary, that  saints  cannot  fall  totally  away, 
that  their  union  to  Christ  cannot,  consist- 
ently with  the  divine  purpose,  ever  be  dis- 
solved. It  is  so  guarded  and  secured  on 
every  side  from  which  danger  may  be  ap- 
prehended, that  all  who  have  evidence  that 
they  are  in  Christ,  may  adopt  as  their  own 
the  language  of  the  apostle  when  writing 
to  the  Romans,  (8  :  35-39,)  "  Who  shall  sep- 
arate us  from  the  love  of  Christ  ?  shall  trib- 
ulation, or  distress,  or  persecution,  or  famine, 
or  nakedness,  or  peril,  or  sword  ?     Nay,  in 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  63 

all  these  things  we  are  more  than  conquer- 
ors through  him  that  loved  us  ;  for  I  am 
persuaded  that  neither  death,  nor  life,  nor 
angels,  nor  principalities,  nor  powers,  nor 
things  present,  nor  things  to  come,  nor 
height,  nor  depth,  nor  any  other  creature, 
shall  be  able  to  separate  us  from  the  love  of 
God,  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord. 

How  precious  the  truth,  that  there  is  an 
"  everlasting  tie  betwixt  Christ  and  the  be- 
liever"—a  tie  that  death  itself  cannot  dis- 
solve. It  may  break  all  others,  it  may  sepa- 
rate husband  and  wife,  friend  and  friend, 
yea,  even  soul  and  body,  but  that  which 
binds  the  Christian  to  his  Redeemer,  it  can- 
not reach.  The  Christian  not  only  lives  in 
Christ ;  he  dies  in  him,  and  sleeps  in  him,  till 
God  brings  them  with  him  to  the  mansions 
prepared  for  them. 

The  believer  is  never  more  closely  united 
to  Christ,  than  when  his  body  moulders  in 
the  dust  of  the  earth. 

Others  may  oppose  this  view  of  our  union 


64  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

lo  Christ,  as  much  as  they  will ;  they  may 
derive  as  much  comfort  from  such  opposi- 
tion as  they  can  ;  but  deprive  us  of  it,  and  of 
the  glorious  doctrines  that  cluster  around  it 
and  diverge  from  it,  and  you  deprive  us  of 
the  sheet-anchor  of  our  hope.  All  is  hence- 
forth uncertain,  even  to  the  child  of  God. 

Deprive  us  of  it,  and  you  may  proclaim 
that  sinners  all  over  the  earth  are  flocking, 
in  countless  numbers,  to  the  Lord ;  but 
whether  to  rejoice,  angels  know  not,  nor 
could  we  know  any  further  than  that  we 
saw  them  gathered  home  to  heaven.  The 
glory  of  Christ,  which  they  might  reflect  to- 
day by  their  union  to  him,  might  be  sullied 
to-morrow,  by  having  those  bonds  that 
bound  them  to  him,  severed  for  ever.  The 
joy  of  men  and  angels  that  did  rejoice  might 
all  be  premature. 

But  let  us  be  assured  that  if  we  are  once 
in  Christ,  we  are  ever  there,  by  a  union  that 
will  never  be  dissolved  ;  and  then  just  as  we 
have  evidence  that  we  or  that  others  are  in 


ONION    TO    CHRIST.  65 

him,  we  may  rejoice  for  ourselves  and  for 
them.  Angels  may  then  rejoice  over  one 
sinner  that  repenteth,  more  than  over  ninety 
and  nine  just  persons  who  need  no  repent- 
ance. 

6* 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE    BENEFITS    OF    UNION  WITH    CHRIST. 

There  is  often  much  benefit  to  be  de- 
rived from  a  connection  with  the  great ;  let 
us  now  see  of  what  benefit  it  may  be  to  us  to 
be  connected  with  the  greatest  of  all. 

It  is  often  of  much  benefit  to  be  connected 
with  the  wise  ;  let  us  now  see  the  advan- 
tages which  we  may  hope  for  from  a  union 
so  intimate  and  lasting  with  the  wisest  of 
all. 

It  is  often  of  advantage  to  be  connected  in 
some  way  with  the  good  ;  let  us  see  then 
how  great  will  be  the  advantage  of  a  con- 
nection w^ith  the  best  of  all. 

By  looking  at  the  privileges  and  prospects 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  67 

of  those  thus  in  Christ,  in  contrast  with  the 
condition  of  those  who  have  no  connection 
with  him,  we  may  see  much  benefit  that  is 
confidently  to  be  hoped  for  from  being 
joined  unto  the  Lord. 

And  yet  this  much  must  be  httle,  infinitely 
little,  in  comparison  with  what  every  Chris- 
tian will  experience  when  he  reaches  his 
final  home,  as  the  result  of  being  joined  to 
the  Lord.  It  doth  not  yet  appear  what  we 
shall  be.  Our  vision,  though  spiritual,  is  not 
clear  and  penetrating  enough  to  see  it ;  our 
thoughts  are  not  comprehensive  enough  to 
grasp  it ;  neither  have  we  words  to  utter  it. 

By  nature  we  are  not  like  Christ ;  we  have 
not  his  spirit.  But  when  he  shall  appear, 
those  who  are  united  to  him  will  '•  be  like 
him." 

Without  attempting  therefore  to  specify 
all  these  benefits,  a  work  which  eternity  will 
not  be  too  long  to  unfold,  we  may  see  enough 
to  be  derived  from  it  to  impress  our  minds 
with  the  unspeakable    imi'ortance    of   it. 


68  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

Among  these  benefits,  as  the  most  import- 
ant, we  must  place  justification,  and  the 
peace  that  flows  from  it,  sanctification,  adop- 
tion, access  to  God  in  prayer,  perseverance 
in  hoUness,  and  final,  complete,  eternal  frui- 
tion in  heaven. 

1.  As  the  immediate  result  of  this  union 
we  are  justified. 

The  state  of  nature  is  a  state  of  condem- 
nation. This  is  one  of  the  plainest  truths 
of  the  Scriptures.  He  that  believeth  not  is 
condemned  alread}^,  because  he  hath  not  be- 
lieved in  the  name  of  the  only  begotten  Son 
of  God.  (John  3:  18.) 

As  faith  in  Christ  is  the  bond  of  our 
union  to  him,  it  distinguishes  those  in  a  state 
of  nature  from  those  in  a  state  of  grace. 
On  the  one  side,  all  are  under  condemnation, 
because  they  do  not  believe.  On  the  other, 
all  who  believe  are  not  condemned.  That 
is,  they  ace  justified.  A  state  of  justification 
is  opposed  to  one  of  condemnation. 

Those  who  are  united  to  Christ  are  spo- 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  69 

ken  of  as  in  him,  and  the  apostle  Paul  as- 
sures us,  that  there  is  no  condemnation  to 
them  that  are  in  Christ  Jesus. 

They  were  condemned  with  the  world,  but 
the  sentence  of  condemnation  under  which 
they  lay  is  removed,  and  they  are  justified. 
The  faith  of  every  believer,  like  that  of 
Abraham,  is  counted  to  him  for  righteousness. 

He  that  heareth  my  word,  and  belie veth 
on  him  that  sent  me,  says  Christ,  hath 
everlasting  life,  and  shall  not  come  into 
condemnation,  but  is  passed  from  death  unto 
life. 

There  are  many  passages  of  Scripture 
that  bear  directly  upon  this  subject,  especially 
in  the  writings  of  the  apostle  Paul.  It 
would  be  too  much  to  quote  them  all  here. 
The  reader  who  would  see  more  proof  on 
this  point  is  referred  to  the  Acts  of  the  Apos- 
tles, 13 :  39,  Rom.  3 :  21,  22,  25,  26,  28,  and 
to  many  other  places,  to  which  a  reference 
Bible  will  readily  conduct  him. 

This  justification  is  all  of  grace,  but  it  is 


70  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

a  grace  that  is  bestowed  upon  those  only 
who  are  united  to  Christ  by  faith ;  hence, 
beUevers  partake  of  it  by  virtue  of  their  union 
to  him.  As  great  then  as  is  the  privilege  of 
being  freed  from  the  sentence  of  condemna- 
tioUj  and  justified  in  the  sight  of  God,  so 
great  is  the  benefit  of  that  union  to  Clirist 
without  which  there  is  no  justification. 

2.  As  a  consequence  of  this  union,  and 
one  of  the  leading  benefits  of  it,  we  have 
peace  with  God. 

Being  justified  by  faith,  we  have  peace 
with  God,  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
(Rom.  5 :  1.) 

To  them  that  have  obtained  like  precious 
faith  with  us,  grace  and  peace  be  multiplied. 
(2  Peter  1 :  1,  2.) 

To  be  spiritually  minded  is  life  and  peace. 
(Rom.  8:  6.) 

To  be  united  to  Christ  is  to  love  the  law 
of  God,  and  "  great  peace"  have  such.  (Ps. 
119  :  165.)    This  peace  is  the  gift  of  God. 

He  has  ordained  peace  for  his  people.    But 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  71 

as  it  is  by  virtue  of  their  union  to  Christ 
that  they  become  his,  so  it  is  on  account  of 
that  relation  that  they  obtain  peace. 

Here  then  we  may  say,  that  as  great  as  is 
the  privilege  of  being  delivered  from  the 
state  of  those  to  whom  there  is  no  peace, 
who  are  like  the  troubled  sea  when  it  cannot 
rest,  so  great  is  the  privilege  or  the  benefit 
of  being  united  to  Christ.  There  is  no  sub- 
stantial peace  without  it.  Any  thing  that 
may  bear  the  name,  is  but  as  the  temporary, 
dreaded  calm,  that  precedes  the  gathering 
storm.     It  is  not  worthy  of  the  name. 

But  with  this  union  there  is  often  great 
peace,  peace  that  flows  like  a  river,  in  this 
life,  which  is  uninterrupted  and  eternal  in 
the  world  to  come. 

The  impenitent  may  not  covet  this  peace 
much,  or  prize  it  much,  while  they  have 
health,  access  to  the  various  sources  of 
worldly  amusement,  a  prospect  of  long  life, 
and  blindness  to  their  deplorable  state  as 
sinners. 


72  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

While  they  are  so  situated,  they  may  not 
think  this  heavenly  peace  worthy  of  much 
sacrifice. 

But  the  views  of  those  Avho  are  brought 
up  under  the  light  of  the  Gospel  are  gener- 
ally greatly  changed  when  they  come  to  see 
themselves  on  the  bed  of  death. 

Many  of  them  then  lament  their  folly  in  the 
bitterest  strains.  "  O  for  a  moment's  peace 
before  I  die,"  said  one  who  had  toiled, 
through  a  long  life,  to  find  peace  in  the 
things  of  the  world.  And  the  anguish  of 
his  soul,  in  the  want  of  it,  shook  the  couch 
on  which  he  lay ;  but  no  moment  of  peace 
came.     It  was  too  late. 

Multitudes  earnestly  desire  it  at  such  a 
time,  who  would  not  seek  it  through  the  di- 
vinely appointed  way,  while  there  was  hope. 

And  all  will  prize  it  infinitely  above  every 
thing  else,  when  they  come  to  open  their 
eyes  upon  eternal  things. 

3.  Adoption  into  the  spiritual  family  of 
God  is  another  privilege  of  those  who  are 
united  to  Christ. 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  73 

That  it  is  a  privilege  or  a  benefit,  none 
can  doubt  who  seriously  contemplate  the 
condition  in  which  they  naturally  are,  in 
contrast  with  that  into  which  this  grace 
brings  them. 

As  the  word  adoption  appears  to  have  been 
borrowed  from  the  civil  law,  we  may  refer 
for  a  moment,  for  the  sake  of  illustration,  to 
the  custom  of  adopting  as  it  has  prevailed 
among  men. 

It  has  been  common,  both  in  ancient  and 
modern  times,  for  those  who  had  no  children 
of  their  own,  to  take  one  of  another  family 
into  their  own,  to  regard  it,  as  near  as  possi- 
ble, as  their  own,  and  to  give  it  the  rights 
and  privileges  that  belong  to  a  child. 

Sometimes  those  who  had  children  did  it. 

This  was  adopting  them. 

Now  we  can  scarcely  conceive  of  a  greater 
privilege  that  could  be  conferred  upon  a 
child  that  was  poor,  and  parentless,  and 
homeless,  than  to  be  adopted  into  a  family 
that  was  able  and  willing  to  instruct  him 
7 


74  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

and  to  provide  for  him  as  the}^  would  for 
one  of  their  own.  It  was  a  privilege  greatly 
to  be  coveted  by  the  poor.  But  in  every 
view  we  can  take  of  it,  those  receive  an  in- 
finitely greater  favor  who  are  taken  from  the 
unregenerate  children  of  men,  and  adopted 
into  the  family  of  God. 

By  an  act  of  God's  free  grace,  on  account 
of  the  relation  which  they  sustain  to  his 
only  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  they  are  "  received 
into  the  numter  of  his  children,  have  his 
name  put  upon  them,  the  spirit  of  his  Son 
given  to  them,  are  under  his  fatherly  care 
and  dispensations,  are  admitted  to  all  the 
liberties  and  privileges  of  the  sons  of  God, 
are  made  heirs  of  all  the  promises,  and  fel- 
low-heirs with  Christ  in  glory." 

Such  is  adoption,  or  the  benefits  which  the 
Scriptures  show  that  those  have  who  are 
adopted  into  the  family  of  God.  But  as 
those  only  are  adopted  who  are  united  to 
Christ,  it  is  obvious  that  all  the  children  of 
God  partake  of  these  benefits,  solely  because 
they  are  united  to  Christ,  his  eternal  Son. 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  1 5 

As  many  as  received  him,  to  them  gave 
he  power,  right  or  privilege,  according  to  the 
margin,  to  become  the  sons  of  God.  (John 
1 :  12.) 

Christ  is  the  adopting  vine,  into  whom 
those  who  were,  by  their  connection  with 
Adam,  degenerate  plants  of  a  strange  vine, 
are  spiritually  engrafted,  and  become  the 
sons  of  God  by  grace. 

Contrary  to  the  analogy  of  nature,  they 
partake  of  the  characteristics  of  the  vine  into 
which  they  are  engrafted,  instead  of  main- 
taining their  own  and  giving,  it  to  the  fruit 
they  bear. 

4.  Sanctification  is  another  benefit  of 
union  to  Christ. 

There  is  in  Christ  a  fullness  of  grace. 

It  is  the  fullness  of  a  living  fountain, 
which  is  not  exhausted,  how  much  soever 
may  be  drawn  from  it. 

It  may  always  send  forth  its  healing 
waters,  and  yet  always  be  full. 

Union  to  Christ  brings  us  to  that  fountain. 


76  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

It  opens  between  us  and  him  a  channel  of 
communication,  by  means  of  which  the  re- 
storing streams  of  salvation  flow  into  our 
polluted  souls,  to  cleanse  them,  in  the  end, 
from  all  the  defitements  of  sin. 

Believers  are  thus  assimilated  to  Christ, 
who,  of  God,  is  made  unto  them  sanctifica- 
tion. 

5.  By  means  of  their  union  to  Christ,  be- 
lievers have  access  to  God  in  prayer. 

The  person  that  is  not  united  to  Christ 
has  no  way  to  a  throne  of  grace.  There  is 
no  other  way  in  which  he  can  cross  that  im- 
mense moral  distance  which  separates  the 
impenitent  soul  from  God,  than  to  seek  that 
union  with  Christ  which  we  have  been  con- 
templating. 

We  believe  that  there  is  no  other  way  in 
which  prayer  can  find  its  way  up  to  a  mer- 
cy-seat above,  or  blessings  descend  from  the 
Father  of  hghts  to  us  below.  But  united  to 
him  in  the  eternal  covenant  of  redemption, 
there  is  a  way  at  once  opened  in  which  the 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  77 

prayer  of  the  feeblest  saint  can  ascend  to  a 
throne  of  grace — a  way  in  which  copious 
blessings,  both  spiritual  and  temporal,  can 
come  down  to  us. 

6.  This  union  is  the  foundation  of  every 
well-grounded  hope.  There  are,  indeed, 
many  other  hopes  in  this  world  that  have  a 
reference  to  the  life  to  come.  We  find  all 
manner  of  hopes,  and  hopes  resting  upon  all 
manner  of  foundations.  We  may  say  that 
the  world  is  full  of  them,  but  all  others  are 
doomed  to  disappointment.  None  will  en- 
dure the  great  day  of  trial  but  that  which  is 
based  upon  our  union  to  Christ  by  faith. 
This  is  their  only  title  to  the  benefits  which 
he  purchased.  They  have  no  claim  to  any 
of  them  on  any  other  ground. 

It  is  this  that  gives  them  a  place  upon 
the  chief  corner-stone,  where  they  may  safe- 
ly stand,  undismayed,  when  all  things  else 
fail. 

On  the  precious  truth  that  they  are  in 
Christ  and  that  he  is  in  them,  "  the  hope  of 
7* 


78  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

glory,"  and  on  this  truth  alone,  they  may 
build  their  hopes,  and  look  up  to  heaven 
with  unshaken  confidence  that  their  home 
is  there. 

7.  This  union  is  the  ground  of  the  be- 
Hever's  perseverance  in  holiness. 

It  is  by  reason  of  "  their  inseparable  union 
to  Christ"  that  true  beUevers  "  are  kept  by  the 
power  of  God  through  faith  unto  salvation." 
They  are  thus  "  confirmed,  unto  the  end, 
that  they  may  be  blameless  in  the  day  of 
the  Lord  Jesus."  (1  Cor.  1 :  8.) 

Because  I  liv€,  says  Christ  to  all  who  are 
united  to  him,  ye  shall  live  also. 

As  long  as  believers  are  united  to  Christ, 
their  spiritual  life  is  maintained. 

But  why  should  we  specify  the  benefits 
which  result  from  this  union  ?  It  makes 
Christ  and  all  his  purchase  the  believer's, 
"Whether  Paul,  or  Apollos,  or  Cephas,  or  the 
world,  or  life,  or  death,  or  things  present,  or 
things  to  come  ;  all  are  yours,  and  ye  are 
Christ's."    (I  Cor.  3 :  22,  23.) 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  79 

Every  good  gift  and  every  perfect  gift  is 
from  above,  and  cometh  down  from  the  Fa- 
ther of  hghts,  with  whom  there  is  no  varia- 
bleness, neither  shadow  of  turning.  (Jam.  1 : 
17.)  But  if  we  >  inquire  for  the  medium 
through  which  they  come  down,  so  as  to  be 
good  and  perfect  to  those  who  receive  them, 
we  apprehend  the  answer  must  be,  their 
union  to  Christ.  Others  may  share  in  those 
gifts  from  heaven  which  are  in  themselves 
good  and  perfect,  but  unless  they  are  united 
to  Christ,  and  receive  them  through  him, 
these  good  things  will  not  be  ultimate  bless- 
ings to  them.  But  not  to  enlarge  on  this 
point,  the  benefits  of  union  to  Christ  are 
such  that  every  thing,  with  each  one  of  us, 
is  depending  upon  it. 

We  cannot  sustain  this  relation  to  Christ 
without  having  all  that  is  essential  to  salva- 
tion ;  we  cannot  want  it  without  wanting  the 
one  thing  needful. 

United  to  him  we  stand  approved  and 
saved. 


80  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

Separated  from  him  we  are  without  spir- 
itual life,  condemned  and  lost. 

Through  it  comes  every  spiritual  good, 
our  comfort  in  life,  our  support  in  death, 
our  final,  complete,  and  eternal  fruition  in 
heaven. 

All  things  are  the  believer's,  because  the 
believer  is  Christ's. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE    EVIDENCES    OF    UXION    TO    CHRIST. 

We  have  seen  that  this  relation  is  one  of 
vital  importance,  or  essential  to  salvation. 

It  is  but  reasonable  to  suppose  that  all 
who  view  it  in  that  light,  will  be  eager  to 
know  whether  they  are  personally  joined 
to  the  Lord. 

With  the  humble  hope  of  aiding  such,  it  is 
here  proposed  to  present  a  brief  outline  of 
the  evidences  of  this  union,  that  by  a  care- 
ful application  of  it  to  ourselves,  we  may  be 
helped  to  determine  whether  we  are  united 
to  the  Lord  by  faith  or  not. 

A  brief  outline  is  all  that  can  be  attempt- 
ed, for  the  doctrine  that  has  been  discussed 
occupies  so  important  a  place  in  the  work 


82  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

of  salvation,  that  to  present  the  evidences 
of  it  fully  would  be  to  introduce  most 
of  the  points  that  indicate  a  state  of  grace. 
But  it  does  not  come  within  my  plan  to  at- 
tempt that  here.  It  will  be  sufficient  for 
my  present  purpose  to  present  a  few  of 
those  evidences  which  are  naturally  sug- 
gested by  those  figures,  borrowed  from  the 
Scriptures,  which  have  been  introduced  for 
the  purpose  of  illustrating  the  reality,  the 
nature,  and  the  necessity  of  this  relation. 

1.  Spiritual  fruit  is  a  clear  evidence  that 
those  who  bear  it  are  united  to  Christ. 

This  relation,  wherever  it  exists,  is  di  fruit- 
ful one.  Fruit,  abundant  fruit  to  the  praise 
and  glory  of  divine  grace,  is  the  great  object 
of  it,  in  this  world,  as  well  as  our  salvation 
in  the  world  to  come. 

"  Christ  is  a  fruitful  root,"  and  we  are 
married  to  him,  or  engrafted  into  him,  that 
"  we  should  bring  forth  fruit  unto  God.' 
(Rom.  7 :  4.) 

Christ  says,  as  the  branch  cannot  bear 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  83 

fruit  of  itself  except  it  abide  in  the  vinCj 
no  more  can  ye  except  ye  abide  in  me.  He 
that  abideth  in  me  and  I  in  him,  the  same 
bringeth  forth  much  fruit.     (John  15:4,  5.) 

He  is  not  only  a- "  fruitful  root,"  but  he 
"  makes  all  the  branches  that  live  in  him 
fruitful  too." 

We  cannot  ask  for  clearer  proof  that  the 
branch  abides  in  the  vine,  than  to  see  it 
yielding  fruit,  especially  if  the  clusters  of  it 
are  rich  and  abundant. 

Other  things  may  indicate  it,  but  this 
proves  it  beyond  controversy. 

So  of  our  union  to  Christ.  He  says  we 
cannot  bear  fruit  except  we  abide  in  him, 
while  those  who  abide  in  him  and  he  in 
them,  do  bear  fruit.  In  other  words,  if  they 
bear  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit,  they  are  in 
Christ.  The  fruit  which  they  yield  is  a 
proof  of  it.     We  can  want  no  better. 

We  may  scrutinize  what  we  regard  as 
the  fruits  of  the  Spirit  as  closely  as  possible. 
We  ought  to  do  it,  lest  we  mistake  the  bitter 


84  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

grapes  of  Sodom  for  the  rich  clusters  of  Esh- 
col ;  but  where  we  find  evidence  that  one 
yields  the  legitimate  fruits  of  the  Spirit,  we 
have  proof  of  union  to  Christ. 

We  cannot  bring  forth  such  fruit  in  a  state 
of  separation  from  him.  But  the  fruit  of  the 
Spirit  is  love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffering,  gen- 
tleness, goodness,  faith,  meekness,  tempe- 
rance."    (Gal.  V.  22,  23.) 

Wherever  such  a  cluster  is  found,  whe- 
ther it  be  in  the  incipient  stages  of  its  growth, 
or  near  maturity,  there  is  a  real,  intimate, 
spiritual,  eternal  union  of  that  soul  to  Christ. 
A  want  of  such  fruit  indicates  a  want  of  this 
union.     It  should  be  so  regarded  by  all. 

2.  Love  for  Christ  is  an  evidence  of  our 
union  to  him.  It  is  no  ordinary  love  that 
we  here  contemplate.  It  should  be  such  as 
will  lead  us,  if  need  be,  to  lay  down  our 
lives  for  his  sake.  He  laid  down  his  for  us, 
and  he  says  we  ought  to  lay  down  ours  for 
the  brethren.  Much  more  we  ought  to  for 
the  Master  if  he  requires  it.     As  in  nature 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  85 

the  hand  or  arm  instinctively  exposes  itself 
to  save  the  head,  so  should  our  love  for 
Christ  lead  us*  to  expose  ourselves  for  his 
cause.  Christians  arc  only  tlie  members  of 
that  body  of  which  he  is  the  head.  It  seems 
not  too  much  to  make  this  love  the  essence 
of  piety.  Christ  evidently  made  it  the  crite- 
rion of  it,  in  his. interview  with  Peter,  after 
his  resurrection,  when  he  openly  restored 
that  fallen  disciple  to  his  favor. 

The  only  question  which  he  put  to  him, 
as  that  upon  which  every  tiling  depended, 
was  "  Lovest  thou  me  ?" 

In  other  places  the  inspired  penmen  give 
it  a  peculiar  prominence.  It  is  not  only 
reckoned  among  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit,  but 
it  is  placed  first  among  them. 

It,  at  least,  occupies  so  important  a  place 
in  the  work  of  grace  that  we  are  nothing 
without  it,  whatever  else  we  have,  or  what- 
ever else  we  are. 

The  apostle  Paul  takes  this  view  of  it 
where  he  treats  of  charity,  (1  Cor,  13,)  by 


OO  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

which  he  evidently  means  love  to  God  hi 
the  first  place,  and  then  those  subordinate 
degrees  of  love  to  which  that  gives  rise. 
The  existence  of  this  love  therefore,  wherever 
it  is  found,  is  a  proof  of  union  to  Christ. 

This  includes  love  for  his  word,  love  for 
his  people,  as  such,  aside  from  every  other 
consideration,  and  love  for  his  cause.  Hence 
love  for  either  of  these  objects  serves  the  two- 
fold purpose,  at  the  same  time,  and  to  the 
same  degree,  of  proving  our  love  to  Christ 
and  our  indissoluble  union  to  him.  On  the 
one  hand  this  love  for  Christ  will  not  be 
found  where  there  is  not  a  union  to  him,  on 
the  other  it  will  be  found  where  there  is. 

To  the  first,  he  is  as  a  root  out  of  dry 
ground,  having  no  form,  or  comeliness^  or 
beauty  that  they  should  desire  him.  To 
the  other  he  is  the  chief  among  ten  thou- 
sands, the  one  altogether  lovely. 

In  proportion  then  as  we  find  evidence 
that  we  have  a  love  for  Christ  stronger  than 
we  have  for   any  thing  else — a   love  that 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  87 

leads  us  to  love  all  that  bear  his  image,  be- 
cause they  bear  it — that  leads  us  to  love  his 
cause  and  labor  to  promote  it — to  love  his 
word  to  such  a  degree  that  we  aim  to  obey 
it,  have  we  evidence  that  we  are  united  to 
Christ  by  bonds  that  wi[l  never  be  dissolved. 

3.  The  possession  of  the  Spirit  of  Christ 
is  a  clear  indication  of  a  union  of  the  soul, 
that  has  it,  to  him. 

As  the  vine  and  the  branch  possess  the 
same  properties  of  vegetable  Ufe,  so  do 
Christ  and  his  people  the  same  principle  of 
spiritual  life.  -^  If  any  man  have  not  the 
Spirit  of  Christ  he  is  none  of  his."  In  other 
words,  if  he  has  the  spirit,  the  mind,  the 
temper,  the  disposition,  which  so  remarka- 
bly characterized  the  great  Head  and  Foun- 
der of  our  holy  religion,  he  is  united  to 
Christ  by  those  ties  which  constitute  him 
the  Lord's. 

4.  Cheerful  submission  to  the  allotments 
of  Providence  indicates  this  union  to  Christ. 

The  language   of  our  Redeemer,  in  the 


bo  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

most  trying  of  all  circumstances  was.  "Noi 
my  will,  but  thine  be  done.''  That  was  the 
spirit  of  Christ.  His  will  was  swallowed 
up  in  the  will  of  the  Father. 

He  himself  says,  "  I  seek  not  mine  owii 
will,  but  the  will  of  the  Father  which  hath 
sent  me." 

If  we  are  so  united  to  him  that  we  possess 
his  spirit,  we  shall,  in  some  measure  be  like 
him. 

Hence  in  proportion  as  we  find  we  are 
Uke  him,  in  this  respect,  we  find  reason  to 
think  we  are  united  to  him. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

INFERENCES  FROM  THE   FOREGOING  REMARKS  UPON 
UNION  TO  CHRIST. 

I.  We  may  infer  the  moral  dignity  of  all 
true  Christians. 

Some  worldly  situations  naturally  have 
an  idea  of  dignity  attached  to  them.  They 
impart  dignity  to  those  who  occupy  them, 
and  to  those  who  are  united  to  the  occu- 
pants, whether  by  marriage  or  by  blood.  A 
prince  has  honor  because  he  is  connected  to 
a  royal  father. 

There  is  great  dignity  in  the  "angelic  na- 
ture," 

^  Angels  are  the  highest  and  the  most  hon- 
orable of  all  the  creatures  of  God.  They 
have  the  honor  of  beholding  his  face  in  glo- 
8* 


90  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

ry.'  Bat  there  is  no  honor  conferred  upon 
creatures,  no  not  upon  angels,  equal  to  that 
which  the  beUever  derives  from  union  to 
Christ. 

Angels  ''  are  his  chief  and  most  honorable 
subjects,"  but  saints  are  his  own  mystical 
members,  and  spouse. 

Angels  are  appointed  to  serve  them.  They 
delight  to  do  it. 

Christ  is  their  common  head,  but  he  is  the 
head  of  saints  in  a  sense  different  from  that 
in  which  he  is  the  head  of  angels.  Of  both 
he  is  the  head  of  dominion,  but  of  the  former 
he  is  the  head  of  "  vital  influence  too." 

^The  great  ones  of  this  world  might  frown^ 
should  the  humble  Christian  presume  to  ap- 
proach them,  but  God  sets  the  meanest  sub- 
jects of  his  spiritual  dominion  before  his  face 
with  delight.' 

With  him  the  Christian,  however  humble 
his  sphere,  is  before  the  prime  minister  of 
any  state,  or  the  prince  himself  The  pulpit 
where  his  word  is  faithfully  preached^  how- 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  91 

ever  mean  its  structure,  is  to  him  above  the 
throne,  though  set  amidst  the  most  precious 
gems. 

The  humble  but  sincere  Christian  may 
well  prefer  the  sphere  in  which  he  is  destined 
to  move,  to  that  of  Gabriel  before  the  throne 
of  the  Most  High. 

2.  If  believers  are  so  intimately  united  to 
Christ,  we  infer  that  they  ought  to  regard 
his  cause  as  their  own. 

It  is  to  be  feared  that  many  who  profess 
to  be  united  to  Christ  regard  all  they  do  for 
him  or  for  his  cause  as  lost.  But  all  such 
persons  lack  correct  views,  if  they  do  not 
lack  the  spirit  of  Christ,  and  union  to  him, 

Christ  himself  has  gone  away  from  us 
into  heaven^  where  he  neither  hungers  or 
thirsts,  or  wants  any  more.  But  his  mem- 
bers and  his  cause  have  3^et  many  wants. 
In  them  he  often  hungers  and  thirsts,  and 
has  need  to  be  taken  in  and  warmed  and 
fed. 

And  he  regards  what  is  done  to  them  as 


92  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

done  to  himself.  And  so  what  is  done  for 
his  cause  is  done  both  for  those  who  do  it 
and  for  him. 

When  they  extend,  or  beautify,  or  enrich 
the  kingdom  of  the  Redeemer,  they  extend 
and  beautify  and  enrich  a  kingdom  of  which 
they  themselves  are  heirs. 

When  they  promote  the  interests  of  that 
kingdom  they  promote  their  own.  So  they 
ought  ever  to  view  it. 

It  would  seem  almost  incredible  that  pro- 
fessed followers  of  Christ  should  be  close  and 
niggardly  in  relation  to  their  brethren  and 
the  interests  of  Christ's  kingdom  on  earth,  if 
they  really  believe  that  what  they  do  for 
these,  Christ  absolutely  regards  as  done  for 
himself.  Every  one  should  be  as  much 
knit  to  the  cause  of  Christ  as  to  Chiist  him- 
self. 

3.  Those  who  are  so  closely  united  to 
Christ  can  never  want  any  real  good.  They 
may  want  much  which  they  naturally  de- 
sire, much  that  appears  to  be  good,  but  no- 
ihing  that  is  for  their  real  good. 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  yo 

They  may  want  what  would  be  good  for 
others,  but  not  what  would  be  good  for  them. 
My  God. shall  supply  all  your  need.  (Phil. 
4 :  19.) 

They  that  seek  the  Lord  shall  not  want 
any  good  thing.     (Ps.  34  :  10.) 

There  is  no  lack  in  our  heavenly  Father's 
house,  and  Christ  will  not  suffer  his  own 
members  to  want  while  there  is  a  fullness 
there. 

"  Every  ono  naturally  cares  and  provides 
for  his  own,  especially  for  his  own  body.^ 
Though  it  may  be  hard  for  us  to  rest  upon 
the  divine  promise  when  "  necessities  pinch'^ 
closely,  yet  all  our  desires  and  wants,  though 
many  and  great,  are  before  him,  and  our 
groanings  are  not  hid  from  him.  (Psalm 
39:9.)        ■ 

"  We  have  not  an  High  Priest  that  cannot 
be  touched  with  the  feelings  of  oyr  infirmi- 
ties." (Heb.  4 :  15.)  He  knows  them  and 
feels  them.  He  hungers  and  thirsts,  and  is 
naked  and  imprisoned  and  persecuted  with 


94  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

those  who  are  united  to  him.  (Acts  9 :  4, 
Matt.  25  :  35.)  He  has  the  tenderest  sympa- 
thy for  them,  and  this  will  flow  forth  for  the 
supply  of  all  the  wants  of  his  people.  Their 
cup  will  be  full  with  that  which  is  best 
adapted .  to  their  wants.  It  will  often  over- 
flow. 

While  his  enemies  "  have  more  than  heart 
can  wish,"  it  cannot  be  supposed  that  he  will 
starve  those  whom  he  loves  as  his  own  flesh. 

4.  We  infer  the  obligations  of  Christians 
to  abide  in  Christ. 

Since  he  has  graciously  taken  them  from 
the  wild  olive  tree,  and  engrafted  them  into 
the  new  and  living  vine,  they  ought  to  live 
in  him  and  to  walk  in  him. 

Nothing  should  ever  be  allowed  to  come 
in,  to  separate  them  from  Christ. 

Cheerful,  contented,  happy,  they  should 
move  quietly  on  in  the  sphere  that  grace  has 
marked  out  for  them. 

5.  Thus  united  to  Christ  the  head,  we  in- 
fer that  the  whole  body  of  Christ  ought  to 


UNION    TO    CHRIST.  95 

be  united  to  one  another  in  the  closest  possi- 
ble manner, 

'  It  is  a  great  sin  and  full  of  danger'  for 
the  loicked  even  to  wrong  and  persecute  the 
church.  In  so  doing  they  persecute  Christ. 
But  how  much  more  aggravated  the  sin  for 
the  pious  to  persecute  or  injure,  or  not  to 
harmonize  one  with  another. 

The  whole  body  of  Christ,  by  whatever 
name  they  are  known,  ought  to  see  eye  to 
eye.  They  ought  to  be  so  closely  united  to 
Christ  and  to  one  another  that  nothing  could 
ever  separate  them. 

The  love  that  binds  the  members  not  only 
to  the  head,  but  to  one  another,  should  be 
such  as  "  many  waters  cannot  quench,"  nei- 
ther the  "  floods  drown." 

O  that  God  would  hasten  the  day  when 
the  hearts  of  all  his  people  would  be  filled 
and  overflowing  with  such  love.  It  is  the 
first  legitimate  fruit  of  that  spirit  which 
unites  to  Christ. 

The  Lord  grant  unto  every  reader  this 


96  UNION    TO    CHRIST. 

blessed  union,  and  lead  us  constantly  to  a 
close  and  impartial  examination  of  our 
hearts,  till  we  have  the  most  satisfactory- 
evidence  that  we  are  no  longer  in  the  depths 
of  sin,  hut  delivered  therefrom  by  a  union  to 
Christ,  that  is  real,  spiritual,  intimate,  eter- 
nal 


Books  published  and  for  sale  by  M.  W.  Dodd. 

CHARLOTTE  ELIZABETH'S  WORKS. 

A  NEW    UNIFORM   EDITION. 
WITH    AN    INTRODUCTION   BY 

MRS.    HARRIET   BEECHER    STOWE, 

AND    A    PORTRAIT    OF    THE    AUTHORESS    ON    STEEL. 

Malting  three  large  elegant  octavo  volumes. 

This  edition  of  Charlotte  Elizabeth's  productions,  for 
the  three  great  requisites  of  Economy,  Legibility  and 
Beauty,  challenges  comparison  with  any  work  in  the 
market.  It  contains  upwards  of  1500  large  octavo  pages,, 
and  nearly  thirty  different  productions.  Several  of  her 
works  in  prose  and  poetry  make  their  first  appearance  in 
this  country  in  this  edition.  In  it  are  included  all  her 
volumes  but  a  few  juveniles  unsuited  to  a  standard  edition, 
making  to  all  intents  and  purposes  a  complete  edition  of 
the  works  of  one  of  the  most  popular  writers  of  the  present 
age.  It  is  believed  that  in  no  form  could  a  greater  amount 
of  more  entertaining  and  useful  reading  for  a  family  be 
found,  at  the  same  expense  and  in  as  beautiful  a  style  as 
that  here  offered. 

OPINIONS  OF  THE  PRESS. 

"  Charlotte  Elizabeth's  Works  have  become  so  univer- 
sally known,  and  are  so  highly  and  deservedly  appreciated 
in  this  country,  that  it  has  become  almost  superfluous  to 


Books  published  and  for  sale  by  M.  W.  Dodd. 

praise  them.  We  doubt  exceedingly  whether  there  has 
been  any  female  writer,  since  Mrs.  Hannah  More,  whose 
works  are  likely  to  be  so  extensively  read  and  so  profitably 
read  as  hers.  She  thinks  deeply  and  accurately,  is  a  great 
analyst  of  the  human  heart,  and  withal  clothes  her  thoughts 
in  most  appropriate  and  eloquent  language.  The  present 
edition,  unlike  any  of  its  predecessors  in  this  country,  is  in 
octavo  form,  and  makes  a  fine  substantial  book,  which, 
both  in  respect  to  the  outer  and  inner,  will  be  an  ornament 
to  any  library." — Albany  Argus. 

"  These  productions  constitute  a  bright  relief  to  the  bad 
and  corrupting  literature  in  v/hich  our  age  is  so  prolific, 
full  of  practical  instruction,  illustrative  of  the  beauty  of 
Protestant  Christianity,  and  not  the  less  abounding  in 
entertaining  description  and  narrative." — Jour,  of  Com. 

"  In  justice  to  the  publisher  and  to  the  public,  we  add 
that  this  edition  of  Charlotte  Elizabeth's  Works  will  form  a 
valuable  acquisition  to  the  Christian  and  Family  Library." 
— Christian  Observer. 

"  We  experience  a  sense  of  relief  in  turning  from  the 
countless  small  volumes,  though  neat  and  often  ornate, 
that  the  press  is  constantly  throwing  in  our  way,  to  a  bold, 
substantial-looking  octavo  of  600  pages,  in  plain  black 
dress,  with  a  bright,  cheerful  countenance,  such  as  the 
volume  before  us.  Of  the  literary  characteristics  of  Char- 
lotte Elizabeth,  we  have  had  frequent  occasion  to  speak. 
Her  merits  and  defects  are  too  well  known  to  need  reca- 
pitulation here." — Newark  D.  Adv. 

"  This  third  volume  completes  this  elegant  octavo  edi- 
tion of  the  works  of  this  popular  and  useful  author.  It 
embraces  Judaea  Capta  ;  The  Deserter  ;  Falsehood  and 
Truth ;  Judah's  Lion  ;  Conformity ;  and  the  Wrongs  of 
Women.  The  works  themselves  are  so  well  known  as 
not  to  need  commendation.  The  edition  we  are  disposed 
to  speak  well  of.  It  is  in  clear  type,  on  fine  paper,  and 
makes  a  beautiful  series.  It  is,  moreover,  very  cheap." — 
N.  Y.  Evangelist. 


Books  Published  and  for  Sale  by  M.  W.  Dodd. 


THE  DESERTER. 

"We  have  never  (we  speak  advisedly)  read  a  stor>-  that  more  entirely 
enchained  us  than  this.  We  are  not  quite  sure  how  much  of  it  is 
fancy,  and  how  much  fact ;  but  we  rather  suppose  that  the  outline  is 
ventable  history,  while  the  filling  up  may  have  been  drawn  partly  from 
tne  author  s  imagination.  The  principal  hero  of  the  storv  Is  a  youn«» 
Irishman,  who  was  lead  through  the  influence  of  one  of  liis  comrades" 
lo  enlist  in  the  British  Army,  contrary  to  the  earnest  entreaties  of  h\< 
mother,  and  who  went  on  from  one  step  to  another  in  the  career  of  crime 
till  he  was  finally  shot  as  a  deserter  :  tlioueh  not  till  after  he  had  nracti- 
nlly  embraced  the  Gospel.  The  account  of  the  closing  scene  is  one  of 
the  hnest  examples  ot  pathetic  description  that  we  remember  to  have  met 
with.  The  whole  work  illustrates  with  great  beauty  and  power  the 
downward  tendencies  of  profligacy,  the  power  of  divine  grace  to  subdue 
the  hardest  heart,  and  the  entxiurairemeat  that  Christians  have  never 
to  despau-  of  the  salvation,  even  of  those  who  seem  to  have  thrown 
themselves  at  the  greatest  distance  from  divine  mercy."— .i/6a;i«  Dailv 
Citizen.  j  ^ 

*•  This  is  one  of  the  happiest  efforts  of  this  exceedinsrly  popular  writer. 
Its  great  aim  appears  to  be  to  exhibit  the  irulv  benevolent  influence  of 
real  pier>-upon  the  heart  of  man,  as  well  as  the  degrading  nature  of  sin 
Ihe  narrative  is  admirably  sustained— the  waywardness  of  the  unre- 
generate  exhibited  in  living  colors,  and  so  interspersed  with  sketches  of 
the  so  dier  s  life,  as  to  add  a  thrilling  interest  to  the  whole.  It  forms 
a  neat  hbrary  volume  of  near  -250  pages,  and  is  handsomely  printed  and 
bound  in  c\o\hy— Auburn  Journal. 

"One  of  the  happiest  productions  of  the  author.  The  narrative  is 
well  sustained,  and  the  personages  and  character  are  true  to  nature  " 
— Commercial  Advertiser. 

COMBINATION. 

"This  is  a  tale  founded  on  facts,  from  the  gifted  pen  of  Charlotte  Eliz- 
abeth. It  IS  well  written,  and  confciins  the  very  best  of  ad\ice.  It  lays 
down  with  great  force  the  mighty  truth,  that  without  Religion  there 
can  be  no  virtue  :  and  that  without  the  fear  and  love  of  God.  man  will 
inevitably  be  dashed  on  the  rocks  of  irredeemable  ruin.  Religion  is  the 
f.r!^  or  "  7'  /^/  ?''K  ^''''^ection  to  hold  by  in  the  hour  of  violent 
temptation  ;  but  if  that  be  lost,  all  is  over.  Such  little  works  as  these 
are  eminent  y  calculated  to  produce  a  vast  amount  of  good  ;  and  there- 
of ThSS- chuIlrTn  °^^^'""'^'  P'-'^"'^  ''^^™  "P»'»  '^^'''  t^l^le  for  the  benefit 
.\1}a  f,?  ^^^^^  ^^''^^'  '^^^''^  '■^"  evening  be  spent  than  by  having  it  rend 
?1^2  CO. ir  e  wh'Th""  ,'"P.^"  '^*'^*^"  '"^""'  'he  fblly  of  others,  and  that 
^efnnv  .vnH'5  ,^^^i^^/heni  to  ignominy  and  disgrace  may  be  most 
careltilly  avoided.'  —Boston  American  Traveller 

THE  DAISY— THE  YEW  TREE, 

Chapters  on  Flowers. 
Three  most  delisrhtful  Utile  volumes,  made  np  in  part  from 
her  very  popular  Flower  Garden  Tales  for  those  who  prefei 
them  in  smaller  volumes. 

(7) 


Books  Published  and  for  Sale  by  M.  W.  Dndd. 


JUD/EA   CAPTA. 

•  Jiulasa  Capta,'  the  last  offering  from  the  pen  of  this  pfted  and  pop- 
ular writer,  will  be  esteemed  as  one  of  her  best  works.  It  is  a  graphic 
narrative  of  the  invasion  of  Judea  by  the  Roman  legrions  under  Vespa- 
sian and  Titus,  presenting  affecting  views  of  the  desolation  of  her  towns 
and  cities,  by  the  ravages  of  iron-hearted,  bloodthirsty  wildiers,  and  of 
tiie  terrible  caUistrophe  witnessed  in  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem 
The  narrative  is  interspersed  with  the  writer's  views  of  the  literal  ful 
fiinient  of  prophecy  concerning  the  Jews,  as  illustrated  in  their  e.vtra- 
oriiinary  history,  and  with  remarks  contemplating  their  returning  pros- 
perity. Her  occasional  strictures  on  thehistory  of  the  apostate  Josephus. 
who  evidently  wrote  to  please  his  imperial  masters,  appear  to  h«\e 
been  well  merited.  The  work  is  issued  in  an  attractive  and  handsome 
volume." — Christian  Observer. 

'•If  the  present  should  prove  to  be  Charlotte  Elizabeth's  last  work, 
she  could  not  desire  to  take  her  departure  from  the  field  of  literature 
with  a  better  grace  ;  and  we  doubt  not  that  it  will  he  considered,  if  not 
the  best,  yet  among  the  best  of  her  productions.  It  is  full  of  scripture 
truth,  illustrated  by  the  charm  of  a  most  powerful  eloquence ;  and  no 
one,  we  should  suppose,  could  read  it  without  feeling  a  fresh  interest 
in  behalf  of  the  Jewish  nation,  and  a  deeper  impression  of  the  truth 
and  greatness,  and  ultimate  triumph  of  Christianity." — Albany  Daily 
Advertiser. 

"This  volume  contains  a  description  of  some  of  the  most  terrific 
scenes  of  which  this  earth  has  been  the  theatre.  Rut  instead  of  con 
lemplating  them  merely  as  a  part  of  the  world's  history,  it  takes  into 
view  their  connection  with  the  great  scheme  of  Providence,  and  shows 
how  the  faithful  and  retributive  hand  of  God  is  at  work  amidst  the 
fiercest  tempest  of  human  passion.  The  work  contains  no  small  por- 
tion of  liistory,  a  very  considerable  degree  of  theology,  and  as  much 
beautiful  imagery  and  stirring  eloquence  as  we  often  find  within  the 
same  limits.  Those  who  have  the  other  works  from  the  same  pen, 
will  purchase  this  almost  of  course  ;  and  they  need  have  no  fear  that 
It  will  disappoint  any  expectation  which  its  predecessors  may  havfl 
fiwakened." — Albany  Religious  Spectator. 

Also  just  published — 

**THE  CHURCH  VISIBLE   IN   ALL  AGES." 
A  work,  making  attraction  to  the  youthful  as  well  as  the 
more  mature  mind,  a  deeply  interesting  and  important  subject. 


All  the  foregoing  are  printed  on  clear,  xchite  paper,  and 
hound  to  match,  making  an  attractive  and  beautiful  set  of 
hooks.  They  are  sold  in  sets  or  separately,  varying  frcm 
25  to  50  cents  per  volume.  When  purchased  for  Sahfialk 
Schools,  a  liberal  deduction  is  made  from  the  above  prices. 
(8) 


Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Libraries 


1    1012  01251    1897 


